Daily fantasy football, a subset of fantasy football, has grown considerably in popularity over the past couple of years and it’s only going to get bigger.
It’s a game where players compete against one another by building a team of players from NFL teams under a salary cap, earning points on the actual performances of their players, with the opportunity to win real-life cash prizes.
Fantasy football competitions can last a day, week, month or over the duration of the NFL season. The advantage daily fantasy football has over the traditional game are that the competitions are held over short periods, with prizes awarded on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. This keeps players interested all-season long whereas with with traditional fantasy football games, players would lose interest early on when they fell behind in their league at the start of the season.
The popularity of daily fantasy sports continues to expand year after year with advertising campaigns running during the games and with some teams even sponsored by the providers.
Sites such as DraftKings have received more than $300 million investment from the likes of Fox Sports, MLS, NHL, MLS, and even some NFL teams, whilst their rivals FanDuel, have netted $275 million investments from the likes of NBC Sports and Time Warner.
They are even able to sidestep legislation in states which forbid sports betting and gambling by claiming that daily fantasy matches are a game of skill rather than chance. The Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act law in 2006 was passed before the daily model was even born.
Fantasy football was already huge in the USA and many fans are now also playing daily fantasy sports which gives them the opportunity to win cash prizes. These work just the same way as traditional fantasy football, with workplace leagues and online drafts taking place.
With sponsorships running around the big NFL matches and teams – before and during games, these providers are targeting their perfect audience, who are already checking their phones during the ad breaks. Add on top of that a group of friends watching the games together and a daily fantasy league can easily be set up in an instant.
Once started, players can they check their team and make changes during the ad breaks and stoppages during the three-hour games and between the early kickoffs and late games. It’s a perfect solution to those who want to fill the breaks between stoppages and of course, an opportunity for daily bragging rights if you beat all of your friends.
The business is already worth more than $1 billion and it is only in its early days. Not only are players proving to stay long-term but there are still lots and lots more potential players out there to turn from their traditional fantasy football games into a daily fantasy football player.
USA is the main focus but DraftKings are also targeting the United Kingdom this season with a heavy advertising campaign on Sky Sports, before and during the live NFL games. Gambling is legalized in Europe and extremely popular, making this a great opportunity to expand their fanbase and increase revenues.
So even if you’re a fan of the Oakland Raiders you have reason to watch the Carolina Panthers on Sunday if Cam Newton is starting in your daily fantasy football team, and then watch the LA Rams to cheer for Todd Gurley…