Matthew Berry facts for kids

Matthew J. Berry (born December 29, 1969) is an American writer, columnist, and television personality. He is best known as an expert in fantasy sports. Matthew Berry worked for ESPN from 2007 to 2022 as their "Senior Fantasy Sports Analyst." He started his career writing for TV and movies. Later, he launched his own fantasy sports websites.

Early Life and Education

Matthew Berry was born in Denver, Colorado, on December 29, 1969. His parents are Nancy and Leonard Berry. His family moved several times when he was young. He grew up in College Station, Texas, from age 12. His mother was the mayor of College Station, and his father is a professor at Texas A&M University.

In 1992, Berry graduated from Syracuse University. He studied electronic media at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications.

Hollywood Writing Career

After college, Matthew Berry moved to Los Angeles to work in entertainment. He started as a production assistant for The George Carlin Show. George Carlin even wrote a recommendation letter for him. This helped Berry get into a writing workshop at Warner Brothers.

During his time as a writer, he worked on several projects. These included movies like Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles. He also wrote for the final season of the TV show Married... with Children.

Becoming a Fantasy Sports Expert

Moving to Fantasy Sports

Matthew Berry eventually decided to leave Hollywood writing. He had been playing fantasy sports since he was 14 years old. He loved it and called it his "passion." He asked a small fantasy sports website, RotoWorld.com, if he could write a column for them. They hired him, and he wrote for them from 1999 to 2003.

After leaving RotoWorld, Berry started his own fantasy sports websites. These included "TalentedMrRoto.com" and "RotoPass.com." These sites became very popular. Their success allowed him to focus on fantasy sports full-time. He also started appearing on different media outlets as a fantasy expert.

Joining ESPN and the Rise of Fantasy Sports

In 2007, Matthew Berry joined ESPN. He started by doing guest appearances on radio and TV shows. This led to him getting his own column in ESPN The Magazine. Soon after, ESPN bought his website, TalentedMrRoto.com. They hired him as their director of fantasy sports.

As fantasy sports became more popular, Matthew Berry's role at ESPN grew. He appeared on many ESPN shows. These included SportsCenter, NFL Live, and First Take. He also created many fantasy videos for ESPN.com. These videos helped fans with their fantasy teams.

Berry also chatted with fans online. In 2009, he set a record for the longest chat on ESPN.com. It lasted for 13 hours and 12 minutes! In 2013, he was named "Marketer of the Year" for helping fantasy football grow.

Matthew Berry also made guest appearances on TV shows. He was on the soap opera One Life to Live in 2008. He also appeared on Dancing with the Stars and the sitcom The League.

The Fantasy Focus Podcast

In 2007, Matthew Berry started hosting the Fantasy Focus Baseball Podcast. Soon after, he also hosted the Fantasy Focus Football Podcast. These podcasts became very popular. They offered fantasy advice mixed with humor.

The Fantasy Focus Football podcast became ESPN's most downloaded original podcast. It often ranked among the top podcasts on iTunes. The show won several awards, including "Best Sports Podcast" multiple times. It also won the "People's Choice" podcast award in 2009 and 2012.

ESPN.com Articles

Matthew Berry is known for his funny and honest writing style. He often talks about his wrong predictions, not just his correct ones. His articles usually start with a personal story. He also uses pop culture references to make his advice more fun.

He wrote several popular fantasy articles each year. These included "100 Facts" and the "Draft Day Manifesto." He also wrote "Love/Hate" articles. In these, he shared which players he liked more or less than others. He explained that a "Hate" player doesn't mean they are bad. It means they might be drafted too early.

Matthew Berry is one of only five people in the Hall of Fame for both the Fantasy Sports Trade Association and the Fantasy Sports Writers Association.

Moving to NBC Sports

In 2022, Matthew Berry left ESPN. He joined NBC Sports as a fantasy football analyst. He now hosts shows like Fantasy Football Happy Hour on Peacock. He also contributes to Football Night in America.

Filmography, Television, and Audio

Awards and Achievements

• New York Times Bestseller for his book, Fantasy Life
• Sports Emmy Award for Fantasy Football Now on ESPN.com
• Inducted into the Fantasy Sports Trade Association Hall of Fame (2012)
• Inducted into the Fantasy Sports Writer Association Hall of Fame (2010)
• Five-time Fantasy Sports Writers Association Awards winner (2005–06)
• Named "Writer of the Year" (Basketball)
• Listed in USA Today's NFL Top 100 Most Important People
• Won "Best Article on the Web" (Football)
• Won "Most Humorous Article" and "Best Major Media Article" (Baseball)
• Five-time Podcast Awards Winner with co-host Nate Ravitz for ESPN Fantasy Focus Football (People's Choice in 2009, '12; Sports in 2009, '11, '12)
• Won "Sports" for ESPN Fantasy Focus Baseball (2013)
• Named "Marketer of the Year" by the Academy of Marketing Science (2012)
• Won FTSA Award for "Best Fantasy Show" (2017)
• Won "Analyst of the Year" (2017)

Personal Life

Matthew Berry is a fan of several sports teams. He supports Texas A&M because of his family's connection to the school. His favorite NFL team is the Washington Commanders. He also likes the Los Angeles Angels (baseball) and the Los Angeles Lakers (basketball). He is also a fan of the London football club West Ham United F.C..

Matthew Berry is friends with many famous people. He has given fantasy sports advice to stars like Jay-Z, Seth Meyers, and Zooey Deschanel. He lives in Connecticut with his wife, Beth Berry, and their five children.