Did You Know You Can Now Insure Your Fantasy Sport Team?
Some pretty weird things have been insured in recent history, most notably body parts. Foul-mouthed chef Gordon Ramsay has his tongue and tastebuds insured for $10 million against loss of function, disease, or aging. German model Heidi Klum has insured her legs for $2 million (and would you believe one is worth more than the other according to her insurance policy?).
Other things that have been insured include cover for alien abduction, weddings (they aren’t cheap, so it makes sense in a weird sort of way if someone backs out at the last minute), and hole-in-one insurance. Golf clubs around South Africa have a rule that if you score a hole-in-one, you’re obliged to buy a round of drinks for everyone at the pub. If you’re playing on a quiet weekday morning, it might not set you back that much, but if the club is packed full, say on a public holiday, you can be seriously out of pocket if you make that elusive shot.
Now, there’s another odd thing you can insure: your fantasy football team. Join us as we take a look at this strange phenomenon and why it makes sense for fantasy players.
What is Fantasy Football?
Fantasy football is a type of game you can play as a sports fan while the soccer season is on. You get to put together your own fantasy team and ‘manage’ it, using any active players in the league. You’re given a budget that you can spend as you see fit on players—but know that some are more expensive to ‘buy’ than others, so you have to manage and balance your budget carefully.
Your players are then awarded points according to how well they play in every week’s matches. There are fantasy leagues for all kinds of sports and teams all over the world. In the US, the most popular is American football. In the UK, it’s the English Premier League (soccer).
How Fantasy Football Teams Are Insured
Of course, if one of your team’s players is injured during the real-life game, that player’s fantasy league points will suffer, which, in turn, affects your score for the week. And that’s where insuring your fantasy football team comes in.
Some insurance companies overseas allow sports fans to insure their fantasy teams against real-life injuries to their key players. They’ll pay out money as compensation to fantasy owners if their team suffers that week due to a player becoming injured.
What's Insurance Got to Do with it?
You might be wondering why someone would spend money on fantasy sports insurance if it’s just a game of harmless fun? Well, like all sports around the globe, fantasy team owners can take their league very, very seriously. There are prizes to be won if you win or are a runner-up. And people create leagues of their own within the leagues, putting an entry fee into a pot, for example, and the winner will take all.
What Prizes Can You Win Playing Fantasy Football?
The prizes you can win playing fantasy football are worth a lot of money. If you take the 2025/26 Fantasy Premier League, for example, the top prize includes a seven-night holiday in the UK, VIP match tickets, a computer or high-end smartphone, and a copy of the latest EA Sports FC 26.
Runners-up also receive massive prize bundles, including the latest gaming consoles like the PlayStation 5, Microsoft Surface laptops, noise-cancelling headphones, and official club merchandise. When the stakes are this high, protecting your "assets" with a specialized insurance policy starts to look less like a quirk and more like a savvy business move.
What Other Sports Have Fantasy Leagues?
Most of the world’s fantasy leagues are in the US. These include, but aren’t limited to:
- American football
- Ice hockey
- Baseball
- NASCAR
- F1
- Cycling
Can You Get Fantasy Football Insurance in South Africa?
While specific "Fantasy Football Injury" policies aren't yet a standard shelf product in South Africa, the local market is rapidly catching up. Specialist providers like iTOO (underwritten by Hollard) and Aon now offer niche Prize Indemnity and Contingency Insurance. These are often used by corporate league organizers or high-stakes private leagues to cover the financial obligation of awarding expensive prizes if specific sporting events occur.
You might not be able to get a simple personal policy for your individual fantasy team just yet, but insurance companies are evolving. Just a few years ago, you might have wondered what cyber insurance was—now it’s a standard business requirement.
Even if you can't insure your fantasy team today, you can certainly cover life’s most important tangible assets. When you get a quote with us for your car, home, business, or life, we’ll pair you with a reputable insurer most likely to meet your needs. Our system is fast, reliable, and uses modern technology to ensure you get the best possible price, potentially saving you up to 29% on your cover.
Insurance.co.za Content Team
We’re a specialist team of insurance and finance copywriters and content producers. The Insurance.co.za Content Team is a flexible and dynamic team. Hence we publish our content under the Insurance.co.za brand name rather than our personal names.
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