LIFEJACKET, the digital football culture platform founded by former Soccer AM star John Fendley and produced by Sharp House Digital Media—a division of Ian Sharp’s Sharp House Entertainment—has secured an investment from Pro Direct Group, the sports retail and media business that is home to the SoccerBible platform.
Since launch, LIFEJACKET has generated more than 4 million views on YouTube, over 2 million monthly views on Instagram, and nearly 2 million views on TikTok. Pro Direct Group has taken an undisclosed equity stake and has a seat on the board for Adrian Lake. The investment will be used to scale LIFEJACKET’s content output and audience reach. Across LIFEJACKET and SoccerBible, the alignment looks to tap into new commercial opportunities. LIFEJACKET will be able to leverage Pro Direct’s football retail footprint and SoccerBible’s editorial platform and talent and brand relationships. Plus, Pro Direct becomes the founding sponsor of The Boot Room, LIFEJACKET’s signature interview format.
Fendley, co-Founder of LIFEJACKET, said, “I’ve spent 25 years in football broadcasting, and I’ve never been more excited about a project than LIFEJACKET. We’re telling the stories that fans actually care about—the boots, the music, the fashion, the culture that surrounds the game. Pro Direct understands the world better than anyone. They’re not just investors, they’re the perfect creative partners to help us take LIFEJACKET to the next level.”
Sharp and Jason Maza added, “From the moment we sat down with Pro Direct, it was clear we share the same passion—a love for sport, football culture, and bringing communities together through entertainment. LIFEJACKET was built to connect with audiences who live and breathe the game, and Pro Direct’s reach, relationships, and deep understanding of football culture make them the ideal strategic partner for this next chapter. We’re incredibly excited about what we can build together.”
Lake at Pro Direct Group added, “LIFEJACKET represents exactly the kind of platform we love, one that speaks authentically to football fans at the intersection of the game, music, and culture. Fenners and the Sharp House team have built something genuinely special, and we’re proud to be backing them. This partnership is about more than investment; it’s about building something together that the football community can call their own.”
