If I’m too absorbed on my phone to notice you in the elevator or on the train, I apologize. Really. It’s just that I’ve been into fantasy sports about as far back as I can remember, and these new DraftKings® and FanDuel® apps are fueling my hobby in a way that is bordering on the obsessive.
In the ‘old’ days, I used to look forward to the day when I’d analyze the weekly stats. I’d wait until the information was available in the newspaper Monday morning, scan the box scores to find all of my fantasy players, and add up all the numbers to calculate my scores by hand. At that point, there were only season-long league contests with slow, drawn-out drafting sessions and long-term payouts after weeks of manual calculations.
Now, there are statistics available in real-time at any moment of the day, and it’s all at our fingertips whenever we want it. The data is organized, the calculations are automatic, and there are even blogs and sites devoted to contest strategy. With money in your account, you can choose to play contests nightly, weekly, or for the traditional season. You can research and make moves 24/7, and there are no limits to how often or how much money you can make.
There are so many different ways to play compared to the limited options there used to be. You can bet on multiple sports, and there are a variety of contest options for each. You can play one-on-one, or you can play against thousands. You can even play to win tickets to games rather than cash. And you can play daily, in as many games as you want. You can look at the numbers and bet money constantly. With all this availability, it’s a little dangerous for me, but it’s also amazing to consider how many people are just like me, and what it means for the future of the industry.
Last year, FanDuel paid out $150 million to its users; this year, the projection is nearing $400 million. Apparently, DraftKings has 1 million registered users (half of which are active daily), and, believe it or not, they project on their website that they will pay out more than $1 billion in prizes this year. (In case you’re wondering, fantasy sports are legal according to the US government because it’s a game of SKILL, not a game of chance).
These innovative new sites have truly revolutionized the way we’re playing fantasy sports. As a huge fan of the fantasy sports industry, I’m thrilled these apps are available. What are some other industries currently being revolutionized by innovative technologies? Let me know in the comments below.
For further reading, check out: Can Mountains of Data Transform Baseball the Way Statcast Hopes?