Pro Direct Group, one of the UK’s leading sports retail and media businesses and home to SoccerBible, has made a strategic investment in LIFEJACKET, the digital football culture platform founded by former Soccer AM star John Fendley (‘Fenners’) produced by Sharp House Digital Media.
The partnership sees Pro Direct Group take an equity stake in LIFEJACKET and a seat on the board, with Pro Direct’s Adrian Lake joining as a director.
The investment is intended to support LIFEJACKET’s next phase of growth – scaling its content output, expanding its audience across platforms, and developing new commercial opportunities through the combined reach of both brands. The strategic partnership will see LIFEJACKET draw on Pro Direct’s industry-leading position in football retail, its SoccerBible editorial platform, and its extensive talent and brand relationships to accelerate the channel’s development.
Since launching, LIFEJACKET has built significant momentum across digital platforms, generating well in excess of 4 million views on YouTube, over 2 million monthly views on Instagram, and nearly 2 million views on TikTok. The channel’s flagship formats – including The Boot Room, Life Jacket Meets, One2Eleven and The Rail – have attracted guests including Noel Gallagher, Frank Lampard and Tom Grennan, establishing LIFEJACKET as a destination for authentic football culture storytelling.
The partnership with Pro Direct will also see the group become the founding sponsor of The Boot Room, LIFEJACKET’s signature interview format, further strengthening the alignment between both brands at the intersection of football, fashion and culture.
Sharp House Digital Media is the digital division of Sharp House Entertainment, the film and television production company founded by Ian Sharp.
John 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 understand that world better than anyone. They’re not just investors, they’re the perfect creative partners to help us take LIFEJACKET to the next level.”
Ian Sharp and Jason Maza, said, “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.”
Adrian Lake, Pro Direct Group, said: 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.
