Swerve TV, a programmer of live sports for free ad-supported streaming TV, has closed a $2.5 million Series A round led by entrepreneur and NYU professor Scott Galloway. The investment is a wager on the power of free, niche live sports to capture cord-cutting audiences on platforms like Roku and Pluto TV.

• The niche playbook: Swerve’s strategy centers on underserved categories, with dedicated channels for combat sports (Swerve Combat) and women’s athletics. The company plans to use the funds to double down on its live sports library, spin up new channels, and scale its business of helping other sports leagues get onto FAST platforms.

• The Prof G stamp: Galloway’s bet is a strong vote of confidence, calling FAST “one of the most compelling growth stories in media” and live sports its “strongest use case.” He added that Swerve TV has “proven traction, deep industry relationships, and a clear vision for scaling into a next-generation programming network.”

• Riding the wave: The investment plugs directly into the explosive growth of the FAST sector. The market is projected to swell from nearly $10 billion in 2024 to over $40 billion by 2033, fueled by viewer adoption and advertisers hungry for brand-safe live programming.

While a modest sum, Galloway's investment is a sharp signal that the next phase of the streaming wars may be won by players who can successfully program for passionate, underserved fanbases in the free-to-watch arena.