110 likes | 165 Vues
Symptoms of Concern. Preoccupied Irritable with mood swings Regularly checking computer for information Bringing a laptop into bed Ignoring family and others COM546 students working on a paper? Actually, this may describe someone who plays fantasy sports.
E N D
Symptoms of Concern • Preoccupied • Irritable with mood swings • Regularly checking computer for information • Bringing a laptop into bed • Ignoring family and others COM546 students working on a paper? Actually, this may describe someone who plays fantasy sports
Fantasy Sports:The New American Pastime COM 546 Project Jody Chatalas Fall, 2007
Fantasy Sports Primer • 15 million Americans play fantasy sports yearly • $2 billion annual economic impact • Fantasy sports franchise owners draft virtual teams of professional athletes • Teams win (or lose) based on the statistical performance of the players on the fantasy team • When a hobby such as this seeps into popular culture, it impacts media content and business decisions • Digital media technology helped increased the popularity of fantasy sports, and will also be at the forefront of its future
Evolution and Growth • Statistics a major aspect of sports… and fantasy sports • Simulation sports games: Strat-O-Matic and Statis Pro • Many sports enthusiasts played these table-top games in their youth, including baseball general managers • First fantasy football league: 1963 in Oakland • Grew by word of mouth through the ’70s • First fantasy baseball played: 1960s among Harvard professors and in a class (the Baseball Seminar) • Daniel Okrent writes article about Rotisserie Baseball • The Bill James Baseball Abstract becomes popular in part because fantasy players used his statistical analysis
Early Fantasy Sports Industry • Statistical services charged leagues to track stats • Used databases to filter information. Previously stats were done by hand. • Books. Showed people how to play fantasy sports. • Statistical books became very common-place. • Print publications. Fantasy Football Magazine in 1987 • Conceived and created in this very building by UW students. • Many others entered the market. • Made money off ad and single copy sales.
The Internet Boom • The Internet helped make fantasy sports a full-blown craze • Online technology made tracking statistics and accessing information much easier. • Online sites run leagues and stats for a fee • Websites offer fantasy content • Some for free: rotoworld.com • Some for a fee: basebalhq.com • Big media companies have online fantasy content & games • ESPN • Sports Illustrated, The Sporting News
Who Plays Fantasy Sports? • Typical Player • 36-year-old white male • College-educated homeowner • Household income of over $60,000 • Not much diversity… women make up around 6% • Miscellaneous information • Spend average of $400/year on fantasy leagues and services • Three hours per week managing fantasy teams • 30 minutes per day thinking about fantasy sports • Costs companies $195 million in lost productivity • These demographics very appealing to marketers
Why Do People Play? • Uses and Gratifications Theory has four main motivations. All of them apply to fantasy players • Social Interaction… done with friends. • Entertainment/Escapism… follow the sport, fun to win. • Surveillance... accessing stats and information. • Self-Identity… team becomes part of you. • Study of on-line fantasy players showed… • Five types of players: casual, skilled, thrill-seekers, trash-talkers and formatives. • Main motivations are arousal and surveillance. • Social wasn’t shown to be a large factor. • Elements of gambling resonate, too… • Similar in risking something of value on an undetermined event.
Present State of Fantasy Sports • Extremely popular, and growing each year. • Big media companies have embraced the hobby, and see opportunities for financial growth. • Mass media has played a major role in diffusion. It makes money off of fantasy sports, and publicizes it even more. • Lots of fantasy sports: Soccer, NASCAR, Golf, etc.
Some Links to Fantasy Sites • http://www.rotoworld.com/content/playernews.aspx?sport=NFL • www.baseballhq.com • www.customstat.com/2007/mon/dickbal.htm • http://games.espn.go.com/frontpage • http://fannation.com/fantasy
Future State of Fantasy Sports • Continued growth. Also into other markets like politics, entertainment & fashion • More diversity and women (like NCAA pools) • Media will continue to search for ways to market to the segment if increasingly sophisticated ways • Legal issues and cases may play a role • Are fantasy sports illegal gambling (online gambling)? • Licensing issues (CDM vs. Major League Baseball) • Who owns statistics, and gets to distribute them? • Major technological advances. Tivo with fantasy sports options. Home-entertainment networking. More fee for special services.