Cris Collinsworth is best known for his work in the NFL broadcast booth, but one of his most significant financial successes came from a business built far away from television. The former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver became an investor in Pro Football Focus (PFF), a football analytics company that grew from one fan’s frustration with traditional NFL statistics into a data provider used across professional and college football.
Collinsworth’s involvement began after he recognized how valuable PFF’s detailed player evaluations could be for his broadcasting preparation. In 2014, he reportedly invested $6 million to acquire a majority stake in the company. PFF subsequently expanded into one of the most recognizable football analytics brands, eventually attracting every NFL team as a customer.
The investment became particularly significant after Silver Lake valued PFF at $160 million in 2021. In 2026, the company’s enterprise business was acquired by Teamworks, giving Collinsworth and other PFF investors equity in the sports technology company.
Neil Hornsby Built PFF From Frustration With NFL Statistics
PFF’s story began with Neil Hornsby, an English NFL fan who became frustrated by the limitations of conventional football statistics. Traditional box scores could record passing yards, rushing totals and tackles, but they could not easily explain the quality of individual performances on every play.
Hornsby began studying NFL games and grading players himself before recruiting other football enthusiasts to help build a much larger database. PFF officially launched in 2007, initially operating on a tiny scale.
The company eventually caught the attention of NFL organizations. According to the original report, the New York Giants became PFF’s first NFL customer in 2009 after executive Jon Berger contacted Hornsby. By 2014, 13 NFL teams were reportedly subscribing to PFF’s information.
That growth helped demonstrate that detailed play-by-play evaluation could become a valuable tool for teams, broadcasters and fans.
Collinsworth encountered PFF while searching for more detailed information to support his NFL broadcasting work. Rather than relying solely on conventional statistics, the analyst wanted deeper insight into player performance across the league.
PFF provided exactly that type of information, grading individual players and breaking down performances that could otherwise disappear inside traditional box scores. Collinsworth eventually became convinced that the company’s data could have value far beyond television preparation.
In 2014, he reportedly invested $6 million for a majority interest in PFF. The company subsequently expanded its operations, moved its base to Cincinnati and increased its analyst and technology capabilities.
Its reach also grew considerably. NFL teams, college programs, broadcasters, fantasy football players and other football audiences increasingly incorporated PFF’s data and player grades into their work.
PFF’s $160 Million Valuation Marked a Major Milestone
The scale of Collinsworth’s investment became clearer in 2021. Private equity firm Silver Lake invested $50 million in PFF, with the transaction valuing the company at approximately $160 million.
That valuation represented a dramatic increase from the $6 million Collinsworth invested seven years earlier, although the value of his personal stake cannot be calculated precisely from the publicly available information.
PFF continued expanding into areas including fantasy football, sports betting and consumer subscriptions. At the same time, its enterprise data business became increasingly important to professional sports organizations.
Teamworks Deal Gives Collinsworth A New Sports-Tech Connection
In March 2026, Teamworks acquired PFF’s enterprise business. The financial terms were not publicly disclosed, but the deal was described as a nine-figure transaction.
Rather than simply receiving cash and exiting, Collinsworth and other PFF investors received equity in Teamworks. Collinsworth also became an adviser to the sports technology company.
PFF’s consumer business remained separate, continuing to provide products involving fantasy football, player rankings, draft analysis and betting information.
The development became even more notable when Teamworks announced a new investment led by Hg that valued the company at more than $1.5 billion.
Because Collinsworth’s exact Teamworks ownership percentage has not been disclosed, his current stake cannot responsibly be converted into a specific dollar figure. Still, the progression illustrates how his original PFF investment evolved from a football analytics bet into an interest connected to a much larger sports technology company.
Collinsworth continues to have a lucrative broadcasting career, but his PFF investment demonstrates that his football expertise has generated wealth well beyond the NFL booth. What began with an English fan searching for better statistics ultimately became a major part of the modern football analytics industry.
