The following items describe important FSTA events and key news and press releases from the fantasy sports industry. If you are an FSTA member and would like to add a news item or press release to this page send the item or release and a summary to news@fsta.org.
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A sponsorship means terrific exposure for your company in front of the best and brightest in the fantasy sports industry. And you’ll get to join the likes of these great companies that have already taken advantage of this fantastic opportunity:
RealTime Fantasy Sports – Title Sponsor + Technology
2 Fantasy Sports – Hall of Fame Awards Ceremony & Reception
BigGame Software — Breakfasts
Cantor Data Services – Networking Breaks
Fantasy Alarm – Lanyards
Optimal Payments – Banner ads + Event Giveaway + Seat Materials
paysafecard – Cubs Suite Outing
XML Team Solutions — Lunch
Don’t waste time thinking about it. By the time you get back from your vacation weekend, the remaining sponsorships (
found here) might be gone. Contact
Meganright now!
Other conference news & notes:
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Special giveaway only for FSTA Summer Conference attendees: As you might have heard, FSTA Hall of Famer and ESPN personality Matthew “The Talented Mr. Roto” Berry has written a book, “
Fantasy Life.” Matthew is scheduled to be on hand at the conference and everyone in attendance – and we mean everyone – will receive a free, signed copy. Pretty darn cool.
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Registration: If you haven’t registered for the FSTA Summer Conference sponsored by
RealTime Fantasy Sports, you can do so
here. Take a look at the working agenda
here.
· Cubs ticket deadline: At the time you register for the conference, you’ll have the opportunity to reserve your spot in the center field Budweiser Bleacher Suite for the June 12 Cubs-Reds game (1:20 p.m. CT first pitch). The cost is $200 and includes your game ticket, plus unlimited food and drinks. The deadline to purchase your ticket is June 7. It’ll be here before you know it, so get yours today.
· Cubs ticket pickup: Very important info for those that are going to the game! Your ticket will be waiting for you under your name at WILL CALL WINDOW #11 at Wrigley Field. Megan will not be distributing the tickets beforehand. You must pick it up at Wrigley Will Call.
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Hotel reservations: A handful of rooms still remain at the DoubleTree Hotel – Magnificent Mile, home to this year’s conference. Reserve your room by
clicking here. If you prefer to make your room reservation by phone, you can call 312-224-2125.
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Elevator Pitch: Don’t forget to sign up for the Elevator Pitch if you’d like to showcase your new business or new product to a room full of decision makers. There are a few spots left. Contact
Megan if you’re interested in participating.
Have a wonderful and safe holiday weekend.
BOSTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–DraftKings, Inc., a leading provider of daily fantasy sports online with offerings across the board in fantasy baseball, fantasy football, fantasy basketball, and fantasy hockey, has closed a $7M Series A round of funding led by Atlas Venture. DraftKings plans to use the money to continue to perfect the customer experience and to broadly market its online and mobile offerings in short-term fantasy sports play. Featuring daily fantasy sports contests and same-day settlement, DraftKings makes playing fantasy faster and more exciting for both seasoned and casual players. Launched on April 28, 2012, the funding announcement comes right as the company is celebrating its first anniversary.
“We remain bullish on the daily fantasy sports market and believe DraftKings is poised to become the leader in this exciting segment of the sports market”
After only 12 months in market, early results for DraftKings have been impressive. In the past year, DraftKings has launched online fantasy contests in six different sports, become the #1 daily fantasy sports mobile app provider, and surpassed 1M users across its web and mobile platforms. For the 2013 fantasy baseball season alone, DraftKings will award over $20M in cash prizes, including its currently running “$5 Million Chase for the Crown” tournament.
Beyond cash prizes, DraftKings has also focused on rewarding its users with great sporting experiences, such as sending one winner to the Super Bowl last February.
“DraftKings’ average user spends over three hours per week on the site and plays 2.6 different sports. We were amazed to see how popular fantasy basketball became with our fantasy football customers, and we are now seeing similar conversion from fantasy basketball to fantasy baseball. Our products provide a true second screen complement to the sports viewing experience, and we see our highest levels of engagement during the actual games themselves,” said Jason Robins, CEO, DraftKings, Inc.
“We remain bullish on the daily fantasy sports market and believe DraftKings is poised to become the leader in this exciting segment of the sports market,” said Ryan Moore, Partner, AtlasVenture.
For more information about DraftKings, Inc., please visit www.draftkings.com.
About DraftKings:
Launched in April 2012, Boston-based DraftKings is the online gaming destination where players engage in daily fantasy sports competitions across fantasy baseball, fantasy football, fantasy basketball, and fantasy hockey. DraftKings offers free and pay contests every day that pay cash prizes. All games are structured under salary cap format, and new contests are offered every day with instantaneous payouts. For more information, visit us at www.draftkings.com; like us at www.facebook.com/draftkings and follow us at www.twitter.com/draftkings.
The FSTA Summer Conference sponsored by
RealTime Fantasy Sports is just a month away (June 12-13 in Chicago) and this serves as a friendly reminder that today – May 13 — is the deadline to secure your special FSTA room rate at the DoubleTree Hotel – Magnificent Mile.
Reserve your room at the DoubleTree by
clicking here. The special FSTA room rate of $219/night expires today. If you prefer to make your room reservation by phone, call 312-224-2125 and use the block code FAN in order to get the conference rate.
If you haven’t registered for the conference yet, you can do so
here. It’s $599 for FSTA members and $749 for non-FSTA members. Our in-progress conference agenda is
here.
At the time you register for the conference, you’ll have the opportunity to reserve your spot in the center field Budweiser Bleacher Suite for the June 12 Cubs-Reds game (1:20 p.m. CT first pitch). The cost is $200 and includes your game ticket, plus unlimited food and drinks (beer, wine, non-alcoholic).
Also, don’t forget about the Elevator Pitch
if you’d like to showcase your new business or idea in front of a room full of decision makers. There are a limited amount of spaces remaining. Contact FSTA Association Director
Megan Van Petten if you’re interested in participating.
Sponsorship opportunities are still available. Check out the different packages
hereor reach out to
Megan for more information.
A final reminder that today (Friday, May 10) is the Early Bird Discount deadline for the FSTA Summer Conference sponsored by RealTime Fantasy Sports. The event will be held June 12-13 at the DoubleTree Hotel – Magnificent Mile in Chicago.
Click here to register and get more details about the conference. You can also review the working conference agenda here. Register by today to receive a significant discount on your registration. It’s $449 for FSTA members, $599 for non-FSTA members until today – this is a firm deadline– when fees will increase to $599 and $749, respectively.
Reserve your room at the DoubleTree by clicking here. The special FSTA room rate of $219/night is available until Monday, May 13. If you prefer to make your room reservation by phone, call 312-224-2125 and use the block code FAN in order to get the conference rate. At the time you register for the conference, you’ll have the opportunity to reserve your spot in the center field Budweiser Bleacher Suite for the June 12 Cubs-Reds game (1:20 p.m. CT first pitch). The cost is $200 and includes your game ticket, plus unlimited food and drinks (beer, wine, non-alcoholic).
Sponsorship opportunities are still available. Check out the different packages hereor contact FSTA Association Director Megan Van Petten for more information. For FSTA members that are registering for the conference: Please be sure to update your company profile. We’re in the process of creating the conference booklet and would like to have the most current information about your company available for all conference attendees to see.
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A reminder that Friday, May 10 is the Early Bird Discount deadline for the FSTA Summer Conference sponsored by RealTime Fantasy Sports. The event will be held June 12-13 at the DoubleTree Hotel – Magnificent Mile in Chicago. Click here to register and get more details about the conference. You can also review the working conference agenda here. Register by May 10 to receive a significant discount on your registration. It’s $449 for FSTA members, $599 for non-FSTA members until May 10 – this is a firm date– when fees will increase to $599 and $749, respectively. Reserve your room at the DoubleTree by clicking here. The special FSTA room rate of $219/night is available until May 13. If you prefer to make your room reservation by phone, call 312-224-2125 and use the block code FAN in order to get the conference rate. At the time you register for the conference, you’ll have the opportunity to reserve your spot in the center field Budweiser Bleacher Suite for the June 12 Cubs-Reds game (1:20 p.m. CT first pitch). The cost is $200 and includes your game ticket, plus unlimited food and drinks (beer, wine, non-alcoholic). Since our last email, many companies have registered for the FSTA Summer Conference sponsored by RealTime Fantasy Sports. Here’s a list of those organizations currently scheduled to attend. Add your name today!
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| 2 Fantasy Sports |
| Advanced Sports Logic |
| Advanced Sports Media |
| Anthem Media Group |
| Big Game Software |
| Cantor Data Services |
| CBSSports.com |
| CDMSports |
| Dentons, US. LLP |
| Draftstreet |
| Dream11.com |
| ESPN |
| Fanium |
| FantasyAlarm.com |
| Fantistics Fantasy Sports |
| Football Diehards |
| Full Moon |
| Head2Head Sports |
| LeagueSafe.com |
| MyFantasyLeague.com |
| NASCAR |
| NFL |
| Njdge.org |
| paysafecard.com |
| RealTime Fantasy Sports |
| RotoPop |
| ROTOWire.com/ROTOSports |
| Rotoworld.com/NBC Sports |
| SiriusXM |
| SkyPhrase |
| SportsData |
SportsDirect
Sportvision |
| STATS |
| TrashTalk Sports |
| USA TODAY |
XML Team Solutions
Yahoo! |
Sponsorship opportunities are still available. Check out the different packages hereor contact FSTA Association Director Megan Van Petten for more information. For FSTA members that are registering for the conference: Please be sure to update your company profile. We’re in the process of creating the conference booklet and would like to have the most current information about your company available for all conference attendees to see. Questions about the FSTA Summer Conference sponsored by RealTime Fantasy Sports? Contact us at news@fsta.org. |
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The Fantasy Sports Trade Association is excited to announce
RealTime Fantasy Sports as the title sponsor of the upcoming FSTA Summer Conference.
The FSTA Summer Conference sponsored by
RealTime Fantasy Sports will be held June 12-13 at the DoubleTree Hotel – Magnificent Mile in Chicago.
Click
here to register and get more details about the conference. You can also review the working conference agenda
here – many panels and speakers are now posted – with the theme of the conference centering on “The Modernization of Fantasy Sports.”
Register by May 10 to receive a significant Early Bird Discount on your registration. It’s $449 for FSTA members, $599 for non-FSTA members until May 10 – this is a firm date – when fees will increase to $599 and $749, respectively.
Reserve your room at the DoubleTree by
clicking here. The special FSTA room rate of $219/night is available until
May 13. If you prefer to make your room reservation by phone, call 312-224-2125 and use the block code FAN in order to get the conference rate.
At the time you register for the conference, you’ll have the opportunity to reserve your spot in the center field Budweiser Bleacher Suite for the June 12 Cubs-Reds game (1:20 p.m. CT first pitch). The cost is $200 and includes your game ticket, plus unlimited food and drinks (beer, wine, non-alcoholic). Thanks in advance to paysafecard for sponsoring the Cubs outing.
Also when registering, you can opt-in for the Elevator Pitch. Do you have a new business or idea that will revolutionize the fantasy sports industry? This is your chance to get your idea out to a room full of decision makers! Get noticed by pitching your product at the FSTA Conference sponsored by
RealTime Fantasy Sports — there are a limited amount of spaces available. Contact FSTA Association Director Megan Van Petten at
megan@fsta.org or 312-771-7019 with questions.
Sponsorship opportunities are still available. Check out the different packages
hereor contact
Megan for more information.
Questions about the FSTA Summer Conference sponsored by RealTime Fantasy Sports? Contact us at news@fsta.org.
The Fantasy Sports Trade Association announced Monday that a trio ofdistinguished contributors to the fantasy sports industry, Paul Charchian, Glenn Colton and John Hunt, have been elected to the organization’s Hall of Fame. Induction ceremonies will take place at the FSTA Summer Conference sponsored by RealTime Fantasy Sports in Chicago on the night of June 13. Click here to register for the conference, which is being held at the DoubleTree Hotel – Magnificent Mile. An agenda can be found here if you’d like to learn more about this unique opportunity. Charchian, Colton and Hunt bring the total number of FSTA Hall of Fame inductees to 17. Previous honorees include: Greg Ambrosius, John Benson, Matthew Berry, Cliff Charpentier, John Dewan, Bill James, Daniel Okrent, Peter Pezaris, Peter Schoenke, Ron Shandler, Glen Waggoner, Charlie Wiegert, Bill Winkenbach and Rick Wolf. You can read more about the contributions of these Hall of Famers here. More about the Class of 2013: Paul CharchianCharchian was a co-founder of Fanball.com in 1993 and helped grow the company from a handful of part-time enthusiasts in his apartment to 80 employees spanning offices in three cities. He published over 200 issues of Fantasy Football Weekly, more than any other industry publication. While with Fanball, Charchian acted as the lead designer on over 25 Web-based fantasy applications for high-profile sites such as NASCAR.com, AOL.com, PGA.com, Best Buy.com and many others. Through his Twin Cities radio program on KFAN – at 19 years and counting, it’s the longest running fantasy sports show ever – Charchian interacts with thousands of fantasy sports players each year. He was also an industry pioneer in television, with a Minnesota-based show in the mid-late 1990s and a nationally-syndicated show in 1999-2000. ”Paul has been a key figure in the growth of fantasy sports,” said FSTA chairman and Hall of Famer Peter Schoenke. “He started one of the first print publications, created one of the early leading websites and has been a prominent leader in the industry’s trade association. It’s hard to find an area of the business where he hasn’t been a big part of the story and it’s great that he’s being recognized for all of his accomplishments.” Currently, Charchian is the president of the Fantasy Sports Trade Association and he runs LeagueSafe, an award-winning, fantasy sports finance management service that he founded in 2008. Glenn ColtonColton is a legal advocate, business advocate, writer, radio host, expert fantasy player and, for the last decade, a catalyst for the fantasy sports industry’s growth by giving advice to FSTA-member companies and the FSTA Board of Directors. Colton’s passion for the industry was never more evident than during the landmarkCBC v. MLBAM case. Colton advised the FSTA membership throughout the process and conducted numerous media interviews in which he preached partnership, thus ensuring that the fantasy sports industry took the high road. On Colton’s advice, and with his assistance, the FSTA filed an Amicus Brief that played a large role in the successful court rulings. Colton started writing for Rotoworld.com in 2003 and helped author its first fantasy football magazine. In 2012, Colton and long-time fantasy team co-owner Rick Wolf began hosting the Colton and The Wolfman show on SiriusXM Radio.
“Until recently, Glenn’s impact on the fantasy sports industry was mostly behind the scenes, as he acted as a legal advisor for the FSTA and for dozens of member companies,” said Charchian, wearing his FSTA president hat. “Glenn was at the forefront of a pivotal moment in the history of fantasy sports, ensuring that the leagues and players associations couldn’t monopolize our industry. Glenn has become more public-facing since the debut of his successful SiriusXM radio show. He is a favorite personality in the industry and I’m delighted that his decade of contributions have been recognized.” In his “day job,” Glenn spent 10 years as a Federal Prosecutor in New York and now heads the White Collar and Government Investigations Practice for Dentons, one of the world’s largest law firms. John HuntHunt started working at USA TODAY in 1991 on the agate desk, compiling stats and answering the phone calls of the first generation of Rotisserie players. In 1993, he began a 13-year run as the fantasy columnist for USA TODAY Baseball Weekly (renamed Sports Weekly in 2002). His clear and unadorned prose was perfect for conveying information and introducing fantasy baseball concepts that we all take for granted today. His work on the national stage increased the visibility of the industry immensely with everyone knowing that Wednesday was the day to “read Hunt.” It became widely known that a mention by Hunt in one of his Fantasy Insidercolumns was enough to get you onto the map, so aspiring writers and industry vendors were constantly jockeying for blurbs in his columns. In addition to his writing, Hunt founded the first national experts competition (LABR – the League of Alternative Baseball Reality) in 1994. Via LABR, Hunt promoted scores of fantasy writers, built the business across multiple platforms and created a stable benchmark during the 1990s, leading to the establishment of some of today’s most venerable fantasy names and fantasy brands. “I have a soft spot in my heart for those who were writing about fantasy sports before anyone knew what the ‘Internet’ was,” said Charchian. “John was a pioneer. Back then, fantasy baseball advice was scarce. Good advice presented in a readable manner was even more rare. Maybe more importantly, John founded LABR, which elevated the profile of many fantasy sports writers and, 20 years later, remains the gold standard of expert leagues.” Hunt now covers the Oregon State Beavers for The Oregonian in Portland. Please address questions or media requests to FSTA Association Director Megan Van Petten at megan@fsta.org.
The Fantasy Sports Trade Association invites you to join us in Chicago for our 2013 Summer Conference, June 12-13 at the DoubleTree Hotel – Magnificent Mile.
The theme for the Summer Conference is “The Modernization of Fantasy Sports” and the festivities will also include the FSTA Hall of Fame induction ceremonies, being held as part of our post-conference reception at Quay Lounge on the evening of June 13.
You can register for the conference by
clicking here and review the working conference agenda
here.
Register by May 10 to receive a significant Early Bird Discount on your registration. It’s $449 for FSTA members, $599 for non-FSTA members until May 10 – this is a firm date – when fees will increase to $599 and $749, respectively. So, book today!
Do you know your membership status? Have you renewed your membership this year? If you’re not sure, please
contact the FSTA Membership Committee for an update on your renewal date. If you’re not a current member, this is the perfect opportunity to
join the FSTA now to receive the discounted conference rate.
Reserve your room at the DoubleTree by
clicking here. The special FSTA Summer Conference room rate of $219/night is available until May 13. If you prefer to make your room reservation by phone, call 312-224-2125 and use the block code FAN in order to get the conference rate.
At the time you register for the Summer Conference, you’ll have the opportunity to reserve your spot in the center field Budweiser Bleacher Suite for the June 12 Cubs-Reds game (1:20 p.m. CT first pitch). The cost is $200 and includes your game ticket, plus unlimited food and drinks (beer, wine, non-alcoholic). Thanks in advance to paysafecard for sponsoring the Cubs outing.
Also when registering for the conference, you can opt-in for the
Elevator Pitch! Do you have a new business or idea that will revolutionize the fantasy sports industry? This is your chance to get your idea out to a room full of decision makers! Get noticed by pitching your product at the FSTA Conference — there are a limited amount of spaces available. Contact FSTA Association Director Megan Van Petten at
megan@fsta.org or 312-771-7019 with questions.
There is no better way to set yourself up in the fantasy sports industry than to become an official sponsor of the 2013 FSTA Summer Conference. Sponsors are in a premium position to make the most of their conference experience. Check out our
sponsorship opportunities or contact
Megan for more information.
The FSTA is calling upon all interested members to submit nominations for the FSTA Hall of Fame Class of 2013.
Worthy Hall of Fame nominees should be individuals that have significantly raised the visibility and popularity of fantasy sports, have brought forth innovations that revolutionized the industry or that otherwise have made exceptional contributions to the fantasy sports industry.
Dating back to 2000, the FSTA Hall of Fame has 14 members. Recent inductees include Matthew Berry (2012) and Peter Schoenke, Rick Wolf and Bill Winkenbach (2011). See
http://www.fsta.org/blog/hall-of-fame for member biographies.
Please email your nominations, with a brief description of why you feel the nominee is Hall of Fame material, to vote@fsta.org by noon CT on Monday, April 8.
Thank you,
FSTA Board of Directors — Awards Committee
ATLANTIC CITY –The Division of Gaming Enforcement announced today the temporary adoption
of regulations which authorize Atlantic City casinos to offer fantasy sports tournaments to their
patrons. The regulations will become effective April 22, 2013.
“The casinos’ vast customer base and the ability to have contest winners utilize the casino cage to
accept entry fees for fantasy sports tournaments and pay out winnings resulting from those
tournaments provides an exciting opportunity to bring fantasy sports tournaments to Atlantic City,”
said Director David Rebuck. “We see this as an added amenity and beneficial to the casinos and
their customers.”
The regulations permit the casinos, by themselves or in partnership with fantasy sports providers, to
offer fantasy sports tournaments or contests.
“These regulations continue to ensure integrity in gross revenue accounting by allowing the Division
to maintain the authority to approve how transactions relating to fantasy sports tournaments are
processed by the casino cage,” said Rebuck. The casinos will be required to submit to the Division
internal controls on their cage processes.
The minimum age for participation in fantasy sports tournaments at a casino is 21.
The temporary regulations will remain in effect for a period of 270 days. Within that time period, the
Division will propose them for final adoption.
The regulations on fantasy sports games (N.J.A.C. 13:69P) can be found at
http://www.nj.gov/oag/ge/temporaryorders.html
Just a friendly reminder that FSTA Board of Directors nominations are due to Megan Van Petten (
megan@fsta.org) by 5 p.m. CT this
Friday, Feb. 8.
Full details are below.
At the time you submit your nomination, we are asking for two additional items:
1. A statement of interest (no more than 150 words) explaining why you would make a good board member; and
2. A short bio that will likely be included on the ballot.
The bio is a new element that was not mentioned below. Note: Megan will contact those individuals that have already submitted a nomination to obtain their bio.
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Want to help shape the direction of the Fantasy Sports Trade Association and the fantasy sports industry as a whole? Now is your chance.
The FSTA is accepting nominations to its Board of Directors, with elections coming up later this month. Five of the 15 board spots are up for election, with each new board member being seated for a three-year term (expiring in Spring 2016).
Other details:
* Nominations are due by 5 p.m. CT on Friday, Feb. 8.
* If you’re interested in joining the board, please submit your name along with a short paragraph (no more than 150 words) describing your qualifications to Association Director Megan Van Petten at
megan@fsta.org.
* Every FSTA member in good standing is eligible to run for a board seat.
* The FSTA is a non-profit organization and, accordingly, board positions are unpaid. Ideal candidates are individuals that are motivated to propel the industry, achieve industry goals and address industry and organizational needs. This is a working board and there is an expectation that all members will participate meaningfully. We’re not looking for people that just want to add a line to their resume. There is serious work involved.
* All FSTA Board members participate in at least one committee (
see the list here) and newly elected board members will also work on our Conference Committee for their first year on the board.
Election schedule:
* Nominations are due by 5 p.m. CT on Feb. 8
* Voting will run from Feb. 18-22 (details to be announced)
* New board members will be announced by March 1
Questions about the election process or serving on the board? Contact us at
news@fsta.org.
To: FSTA members
From: Paul Charchian, FSTA President
Date: Feb. 1, 2013
Please pass this along to others in your company that may be interested in following the fantasy sports industry.
We all saw each other just 10 days ago at the FSTA Winter Conference, so this month’s newsletter is a little shorter than usual.
Winter Conference Wrap-Up
First, many thanks again to Neil Steinhardt at PaySafeCard for his support as our primary conference sponsor and to FSTA Association Director Meg Van Petten for her ongoing coordination of the event. Meg had things running smoothly, as always, and we enjoyed a seamless stay in Las Vegas. If your business is taking payments (and whose isn’t?), you owe it to yourself to check out PaySafeCard.
Our panelists were fantastic, perhaps our strongest lineup yet. And, while it’s not fair to mention some and not others, I will say that the data Nielsen offered at the outset of the show was amazing. In the words of a couple attendees, “Nielson’s information paid for the cost of attendance by itself.”
And to bookend the day, Zappos guru Robert Richman delivered fantastic, practical advice about building company culture that resonates with your customers. We’re already talking to Robert about an encore presentation next year.
We’ll be back in Las Vegas next January. Our three-year agreement with The Mirage is completed, and we’re currently evaluating the suitability of other locations. The Mirage has been an excellent partner. They’re responsive; they know our needs; and Meg has enjoyed working with their staff. Plus, The Mirage’s location on The Strip is about as good as it gets. Still, we recognize that many people would like to try someplace new, and we’re looking into it.
Block out your calendars for our next conference, to be held in Chicago on June 13-14. The Wrigley Rooftop experience is back! Get more info and
register here.
I very much enjoyed seeing so many old friends, and making a lot of new acquaintances. Except for whoever gave me his cold.
Canada Beats the U.S. to Fantasy Sports TV
Canadian media regulators have okayed a planned fantasy sports TV channel, to be called “The League,” which will certainly create some confusion with the wonderful and filthy Jackie Schaffer-created FX show by the same name.
If this comes to fruition, as expected, it’ll be the first-ever, full-time televised channel for fantasy sports.
But, is television a good format for fantasy sports? Does fantasy sports talk make for compelling television viewing? We know it can work on radio. In addition to the fantasy-only SiriusXM channel, there are dozens of specialty shows on local radio stations across the country. Like (ahem) mine.
The format can work. To wit, ESPN2’s fantastic “Fantasy Football Now” with Matthew Berry, is must-see viewing every Sunday morning. I’ve been told that it’s ESPN2’s highest rated show each week. That show has the advantage of elite production values, Matthew’s wit and the massive platform that ESPN provides. This new show will have none of those advantages. And, it’ll have a full day of content to fill 365-days a year. That’s a tall order.
Done wrong, fantasy sports talk is borderline unlistenable/unwatchable. I can’t imagine worse TV than people calling in to ask which goalie they should start this week. Okay, there’s any episode of “Pete Rose: Hits & Mrs.” (Yes, that’s an actual show, I’m sorry to say.)
It’s interesting that Canada has beaten the U.S. to the TV market. Americans enjoy a wider breadth of fantasy sport interests. Americans have 10x the number of fantasy players. Clearly, if it works in Canada, it can help set the table for someone to make a foray into the American market.
Related links:
Rotowire and NFBC partnership
Premium content royalty Rotowire has joined forces with the STATS suite of online contests. The partnership covers football, baseball and basketball, beginning with this year’s baseball event, which is now named, The Rotowire Fantasy Baseball Online Championship. Hey, Rotowire got naming rights! The name change will also occur in football with The Rotowire Fantasy Football Online Championship and in basketball with The Rotowire Fantasy Basketball Online Championship.
Rotowire will promote the games through email and online advertising.
Announcing the 2012 FSTA Award Winners!
Best League Commissioner Product
CBS Sports.com Commissioner
Most Innovative Fantasy Contest
NFL.com Perfect Challenge
Most Innovative Fantasy Product or Service
RotoWorld Premium Draft Guide
and
NFL.com Google+ Hangouts
Most Outstanding Fantasy Contest
FanDuel Fantasy Football Championship
Best Mobile App
CBS Sports Fantasy Football
and
Fantasy Alarm Football
Best Fantasy Live Event
National Fantasy Baseball Championship (NFBC)
Most Valuable Fantasy Content
Rotowire
Most Valuable Fantasy Tool
Draft Analyzer
Rookie of the Year
Reality Sports Online
FSTA NFL League Results
Stacie Stern, Glenn Colton and Rick Wolf, representing the Colton and The Wolfman SiriusXM radio show used huge Week 16 performances from Dez Bryant and Reggie Bush in route to a 175 to 132 victory over Keith Lipscomb’s ESPN squad to take the SiriusXM FSTA Experts League Championship. In the B League, Fanmouth beat Christian Peterson’s LeagueSafe team to earn a spot in the 2013 Sirius/XM FSTA Experts League. Congratulations!
Thank You, New and Renewing Members!
Fantasy Fortune, Andrew Akins
Fdraft, Jason Astarita
Abdullah Bin Mosaad
National Football League, Cory Mummery
ProPlayerStatus.com, Brian Kipp
Footballguys.com, David L. Dodds
DraftDay, Andrew Wiggins
DraftStreet, Michael R. Kibort
Stanima Fantasy Sports LLC, Stan Misthios
Acme Fantasy Sports, David Phillips
Cantor Data Services, Matthew B. Holt
Draftbar.com, Peter Levin
Chetu, Inc., John Bailey
GambleID, LLC, Dean Finkeldei
SportsData, LLC, Rob C. Phythian
Silver Sports Entertainment, LLC, John Rotundo
Monthly disclaimer: The thoughts and opinions in this email do not represent the FSTA Board of Directors or membership as a whole. It’s a collection of observations about the industry that have crossed my mind over the past month.
Want to help shape the direction of the Fantasy Sports Trade Association and the fantasy sports industry as a whole? Now is your chance.
The FSTA is accepting nominations to its Board of Directors, with elections coming up later this month. Five of the 15 board spots are up for election, with each new board member being seated for a three-year term (expiring in Spring 2016).
Other details:
* Nominations are due by 5 p.m. CT on Friday, Feb. 8.
* If you’re interested in joining the board, please submit your name along with a short paragraph (no more than 150 words) describing your qualifications to Association Director Megan Van Petten at
megan@fsta.org.
* Every FSTA member in good standing is eligible to run for a board seat.
* The FSTA is a non-profit organization and, accordingly, board positions are unpaid. Ideal candidates are individuals that are motivated to propel the industry, achieve industry goals and address industry and organizational needs. This is a working board and there is an expectation that all members will participate meaningfully. We’re not looking for people that just want to add a line to their resume. There is serious work involved.
* All FSTA Board members participate in at least one committee (
see the list here) and newly elected board members will also work on our Conference Committee for their first year on the board.
Election schedule:
* Nominations are due by 5 p.m. CT on Feb. 8
* Voting will run from Feb. 18-22 (details to be announced)
* New board members will be announced by March 1
Questions about the election process or serving on the board? Contact us at
news@fsta.org.
The FSTA Winter Conference: “The Move to Mobile: Fantasy Sports Everywhere,” sponsored by
paysafecard was held last week at The Mirage in Las Vegas with over 200 attendees, representing over 100 different companies. Among the highlights of the conference: · a compelling keynote address by Zappos Insights’ Robert Richman, who gave advice on how to achieve an “epic level of loyalty and engagement” with your customer;· informative research from Stephen Master of Nielsen, who introduced the concept of “Fanalytics” in terms of sports user consumption shifting to multiple-screen usage, as well as tips from other top experts in the field on how to “leverage the second screen” as a platform;· hearing unique perspectives on “responsive design” and what should go on behind the scenes when planning for and building a new mobile app;· enlightening panels on Advertising – Online to Mobile and Fantasy Sports Consumer Motivation;· our annual Elevator Pitch, sponsored by Yahoo! Sports and won by Fanamana;· the FSTA Expert League Baseball Draft that was sponsored by XML Team Solutions and aired live on SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio; and· the induction of Ryan Bonini, Tristan Cockcroft, William Del Pilar, Michael Fabiano, Dan Grogan, Bob Harris and James Quintong into the Fantasy Sports Writers Association Hall of Fame The FSTA also announced the following winners of the 2012 FSTA Awards at a banquet sponsored by the USA TODAY Sports Media Group: ·
Best League Commissioner Product: CBSSports.com Commissioner·
Most Innovative Fantasy Contest: NFL.com Perfect Challenge·
Most Innovative Fantasy Product or Service: tie between RotoWorld Premium Draft Guide and NFL.com Google+ Hangouts·
Most Outstanding Fantasy Contest: FanDuel Fantasy Football Championship·
Best Mobile App: tie between CBS Sports Fantasy Football and Fantasy Alarm Football·
Best Live Event: National Fantasy Baseball Championship (NFBC)·
Most Valuable Fantasy Content: RotoWire·
Most Valuable Fantasy Tool: Draft Analyzer·
Rookie of the Year: Reality Sports Online Congratulations to all of the nominees and winners on a well-deserved honor. The FSTA thanks our attendees and sponsors for making this another fantastic event. FSTA members should be on the lookout for our post-conference survey soon and thanks in advance for taking the time to provide the FSTA with valuable information about what
you want at
your conference.
We’re already looking forward to our next event in Chicago, June 13-14. Mark the dates … more details to come. Questions? E-mail us at news@fsta.org.
We’re less than a week away from the FSTA Winter Conference: “The Move to Mobile: Fantasy Sports Everywhere,” sponsored by paysafecard and there are a few last-minute odds and ends we’d like to share with you. Registration: There’s still time sign up for the conference – Jan. 21-22 at The Mirage Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. Don’t miss out on a fantastic program we have planned, including:
- Keynote speaker, Robert Richman, author of the upcoming book “Culture Blueprint” and who launched and built Zappos Insights, a company dedicated to helping businesses with their cultures;
- Panelists from FanCandy, LSM Mobile, Lucid Agency, Mobext, Netflix, Nielsen, SportStream, StarStreet.com, Univ. of Alabama, Univ. of Cincinnati, Viggle, Zeus Jones and more;
- Opening night cocktail reception and FSTA Experts League Fantasy Baseball Draft, both sponsored by XML Team Solutions, with the draft airing live on Sirius XM Fantasy Sports Radio;
- Elevator Pitch, sponsored by Yahoo! Sports;
- Networking breaks sponsored by Head2Head Sports and breakfasts sponsored by Big Game Software;
- The annual FSTA Awards Banquet & Dinner
Click here to register and get more details about the conference. A full agenda of panels, speakers and events can be found here. Questions? Email us atnews@fsta.org. Attendee list: Nearly 100 companies (and counting) are sending representatives to the FSTA Winter Conference: “The Move to Mobile: Fantasy Sports Everywhere,” sponsored by paysafecard. Check out the list … and add your name to it today.
| 2020 Marketing / PickPointz |
| 4for4 Fantasy Football |
| ACCUSCORE |
| Advanced Sports Logic, Inc. |
| Automated Insights |
| Barry University School of Law |
| BaseballHQ |
| Best Sports Networks, LLC |
| Big Game Software |
| Blue Ox Entertainment |
| CBSSports.com |
| CDMSports.com |
| Chetu |
| Competitive Sports Analysis |
| C-Scape Consulting Corporation |
| Daily Joust |
| Draft Day |
| DraftKings, Inc. |
| ESPN |
| Fanamana |
| FanCandy Founder |
| FanDraft software |
| FanDuel |
| Fantasy Football Players Championship |
| FantasyAlarm.com, LLC |
| FantasyDispute.com |
| Fantasy Feud |
| Fantasy Index Magazines |
| FantasyPros |
| Fantistics Fantasy Sports |
| Fantrax |
| FFToday.com |
| FightMetric |
| FJ Fantasy Sports |
| Football Die Hards |
| Footballguys Players Championship |
| FOX Sports Interactive |
| FSOV, LLC |
| Full Moon |
| GambleID, LLC |
| Head2Head Sports |
| InGamer |
| Inside Edge |
| ISM Ltd. |
| KFFL.com |
| LeagueSafe.com |
| Lee Van Voorhis |
| Lucid Agency |
| Mastersball.com |
| Mindspring |
| Mobext |
| MyFantasyLeague.com |
| NASCAR Digital Media |
| National Football League |
| NBC Sports |
| Netflix |
| NFL |
| Nielsen |
| Ocho Global |
| PaySafecard.com |
| Pickemfirst |
| Prediculous |
| Premier League |
| Pro Football Focus |
| Real Time Sports |
| Reality Sports Online, Inc. |
| RealTime Fantasy Sports Inc. |
| Ridonkulous Fantasy Football |
| RotoGrinders.com |
| RotoWire.com – Roto Sports, Inc. |
| Rotoworld.com/NBC Sports |
| R-Soft |
| Score! Las Vegas |
| Sirius XM |
| Sonnenschein |
| Sports Tradex LLC. |
| SportsData, LLC |
| SportsDirect, Inc. |
| SportStream |
| STATS |
| The A League, LLC |
| The Most Credible |
| The Sports Network |
| Titlecraft |
| Ultimate Fantasy Football |
| University of Alabama Program in Sports Communication |
| University of Cincinnati in Sports Administration |
| USA TODAY Sports Media Group |
| Viggle |
| XML Team Solutions |
| Yahoo! |
| Zappos |
| Zeus Jones |
| ZwillGen PLLC |
Last-minute sponsorship opportunities are still available. Check out the remaining packages here and email Association Director Megan Van Petten atmegan@fsta.org for more information. Once again, click here to register for the FSTA Winter Conference: “The Move to Mobile: Fantasy Sports Everywhere,” sponsored by paysafecard. See you in Las Vegas!
Have you reserved your room at The Mirage Resort & Casino for the FSTA Winter Conference: “The Move to Mobile: Fantasy Sports Everywhere,” sponsored by
paysafecard?
If not, what are you waiting for?
The special FSTA room rate of $149/night for the Jan. 21-22 event in Las Vegas is available only until Jan. 1 and just a limited number of rooms remain.
Reserve your room at The Mirage by
clicking here. If you prefer to make your room reservation by phone, call 1-800-499-6311 and use the block code FST13M in order to get the conference rate.
Click
here to register and get more details about the conference. You can also review the conference agenda
here.
Sponsorship opportunities are still available. Check out the different packages
hereor contact FSTA Association Director
Megan Van Petten for more information.
Questions about the “The Move to Mobile: Fantasy Sports Everywhere,” sponsored by
paysafecard? Contact us at
news@fsta.org.
The Fantasy Sports Trade Association is thrilled to welcome keynote speaker Robert Richman to the FSTA Winter Conference: “The Move to Mobile: Fantasy Sports Everywhere,” sponsored by
paysafecard.
Richman, author of the upcoming book “Culture Blueprint,” launched and built
Zappos Insights, a company dedicated to helping businesses with their cultures. He speaks regularly on company culture and advises business leaders, managers and entrepreneurs on how to create self-sustaining (and revenue-driving) cultures in their own organizations. Richman will share those secrets as well as explain the keys to how successful companies develop strong, loyal relationships with their customers.
“The Move to Mobile: Fantasy Sports Everywhere,” sponsored by
paysafecard, will be held Jan. 21-22 at The Mirage Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.
Click
here to register and get more details about the conference. You can also review the conference agenda
here.
Reserve your room at The Mirage by
clicking here. The special FSTA room rate of $149/night is available until
Jan. 1. If you prefer to make your room reservation by phone, call 1-800-499-6311 and use the block code FST13M in order to get the conference rate.
Sponsorship opportunities are still available. Check out the different packages
hereor contact FSTA Association Director
Megan Van Petten for more information.
Questions about the “The Move to Mobile: Fantasy Sports Everywhere,” sponsored by
paysafecard? Contact us at
news@fsta.org.
The Fantasy Sports Trade Association is excited to announce paysafecard as the title sponsor of the upcoming FSTA Winter Conference.
The FSTA Winter Conference sponsored by paysafecard will be held Jan. 21-22, 2013 at The Mirage Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.
Click here to register and get more details about the conference. You can also review the working conference agenda here – many panels and speakers are now posted – with the theme of the conference centering on “building your fantasy sports business across multiple delivery platforms.” Register by Dec. 7 to receive a significant Early Bird Discount on your registration. It’s $449 for FSTA members, $599 for non-FSTA members until Dec. 7 – this is a firm date – when fees will increase to $599 and $749, respectively. So, book today!
Reserve your room at The Mirage by clicking here. The special FSTA Winter Conference room rate of $149/night is available until Jan. 1. If you prefer to make your room reservation by phone, call 1-800-499-6311 and use the block code FST13M in order to get the conference rate. Returning for the conference are two staples: The annual FSTA Experts League Fantasy Baseball Draft, to be held live on SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio beginning at 4 p.m. PT on Jan. 21, and the Elevator Pitch. Do you have a new business or idea that will revolutionize the fantasy sports industry? This is your chance to get your idea out to a room full of decision makers! Contact FSTA Association Director Megan Van Petten at megan@fsta.org or 312-771-7019 for more details. Sponsorship opportunities are still available. Check out the different packages hereor contact Megan for more information. Questions about the FSTA Winter Conference sponsored by paysafecard? Contact us at news@fsta.org.
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The Fantasy Sports Trade Association invites you to join us in Las Vegas for our 2013 Winter Business Conference, Jan. 21-22 at The Mirage Resort & Casino.
You can register for the conference by
clicking here and review the working conference agenda
here.
Register by Dec. 7 to receive a significant Early Bird Discount on your registration. It’s $449 for FSTA members, $599 for non-FSTA members until Dec. 7 — this is a firm date — when fees will increase to $599 and $749, respectively. So, book today!
Do you know your membership status? Have you renewed your membership this year? If you’re not sure, please
contact the FSTA Membership Committee for an update on your renewal date. If you’re not a current member, this is the perfect opportunity to
join the FSTA now to receive the discounted conference rate.
Reserve your room at The Mirage by
clicking here. The special FSTA Winter Conference room rate of $149/night is available until Jan. 1. If you prefer to make your room reservation by phone, call 1-800-499-6311 and use the block code FST13M in order to get the conference rate.
At the time you register for the Winter Conference, you’ll also have the opportunity to opt-in for the annual
Elevator Pitch! Do you have a new business or idea that will revolutionize the fantasy sports industry? This is your chance to get your idea out to a room full of decision makers! Get noticed by pitching your product at the FSTA Conference — there are a limited amount of spaces available. Contact FSTA Association Director Megan Van Petten at
megan@fsta.org or 312-771-7019 for more details.
There is no better way to set yourself up in the fantasy sports industry than to become an official sponsor of the 2013 FSTA Winter Business Conference. Sponsors are in a premium position to make the most of their conference experience. Check out our
sponsorship opportunities or contact
Megan for more information.
** FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE **
Fantasy football today took another step forward with the opening of the Fantasy Football Hall of Fame, announced by the Fantasy Football Federation of America, LLC (FFFA). The Hall opened with 10 inaugural inductees who were fantasy studs during their playing days in the NFL.
In making the announcement, Carland Whitaker, Managing Director of FFFA, said, “We felt it was time that owners of fantasy teams had an opportunity to honor those players who, by their play, made fantasy football what it is today. There’s an entire industry built up around fantasy football and we believe it is fitting that the men who were at the center of the excitement be recognized for their superior play.”
The Hall is a virtual museum dedicated to former NFL greats who played during the fantasy football era, from 1988 to present. It is an interactive, 3D experience, allowing visitors to “enter” the building then, in a virtual foyer, select which display they wish to visit.
The displays have a bust of the inductee and the “room” is decorated with pictures of the former gridiron warrior. Visitors can click on three links in the display which show the player’s career stats, his personal history and the honors and accolades bestowed upon him.
Once finished with that display, the visitor can click on arrows to the left or right to visit other displays in the museum or (s)he can click on the “exit” sign which takes him/her to a Welcome Center where he/she can learn about the Hall and FFFA. The Welcome Center also has a link to an opportunity to join FFFA.
The benefits of becoming a member start with having the right to vote on the next class of inductees into the Hall. In addition, with payment of the first year’s dues of $10, the new member gets a free download of the ebook, Fantasy Football My Way by the Fantasy Guy.
“We want this to be fun and highly interactive, ” Whitaker said. “Each member automatically will be enrolled in a series of drawings for autographed paraphernalia and they can participate in contests like, the Photo of the Month where members show off pictures taken at actual games.”
He also pointed out that members of FFFA would receive a discount on what is being described as the most intriguing, challenging and addictive post season event in the history of fantasy football. According to Whitaker, this event is entering its 11th year but it’s the first time it is being offered nationally.
“Our desire is to further raise the consciousness about the entire fantasy football industry,” Whitaker said. “With some 20-25 million people already playing, we see the Hall as a means to give them another dimension.”
When asked, Whitaker refused to reveal who were the initial inductees. With a wry smile, he indicated he would much rather have people visit the Hall and see for themselves.
“We are very proud of this Hall of Fame and hope the fantasy football community will embrace it with enthusiasm,” he said.
To visit the Hall, go to www.uffo.us. There is a link to the Hall in the upper right hand corner.
For more information contact:
Carland Whitaker
214-477-9538
cbwhit@uffo.us
Allproleagues.com has launched its new fantasy game platform (phase-1) after a year plus of planning. Robert January, G.M. of ALL-PRO MEDIA GROUP, LLC, said “Teaming up with a company like X-Studios (
www.xstudiosinc.com ) , who has produced top notch online gaming for EA Sports, as well as working with Google, Disney, HSBC, Honda, Marriott, and Universal Studios Orlando, has given our vision a realistic beginning for our full-season leagues and weekly/daily leagues.” ALL-PRO MEDIA GROUP, LLC is aiming to make
allproleagues.com one of the most expandable, diverse, user-friendly, and entertaining fantasy league sites on the web. “We are rolling out several small phases within our NFL and NCAAF packages currently and adding other sports in the mid-term” said Micah Perkins, Business Development Mgr. APMG has plans to incorporate some aspects of fantasy football never seen before that will open a new dimension and take the fantasy industry to a new level. “Those are in the works for the 2013 season as we take time to perfect our current offerings,” said Robert January. “Our hopes are for users to have a great visual experience while at the same time getting away from the normal stature of fantasy sports leagues over the last decade. We are also really excited about our Grid prize system for full-season leagues which offers our users prize payouts per win in addition to the usual playoff payouts.”
Allproleagues.com is host of the #1 Expert Fantasy League and is moving into its 2nd season. “We are proud to host this league where fans are able to watch the league progress and unfold. The thrill of having a 32 team structure mirroring the NFL is simply unmatched” said Robert January.
Allproleagues.com will be at the Fantasy Football Fest August 18th-19th in Atlantic City, NJ in hopes of acquiring additional users to their already-strong base core. Jason Mross, Business Development Mgr. for APMG says “we will have many opportunities for revenue sharing as well as other options for some of our partner companies, but the most important aspect is giving lots of upgrade options to our users at their fingertips”.
Allproleagues.com is finishing up their NCAAF package, which will encompass a “never seen before” full-season league structure that will be a great user experience. “We are excited about all the things going on and working tirelessly to improve and perfect our offerings” said Robert January.
Allproleagues.com has a new promo video on Youtube (
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vQPNLYL8RQ ) as well as a brand new mock-draft room accessible at
www.allproleagues.com .
PHILADELPHIA – July 9, 2012 – Reality Sports Online (RSO), a new fantasy sports company created by former NFL team personnel, has launched its first product, an online fantasy football platform. Designed to emulate actual NFL front office operations and create a realistic general manager experience, RSO’s fantasy football platform delivers the world’s first Free Agency Auction Room (patent pending), enabling fantasy team owners to negotiate multi-year contracts in real-time online. Other key features include a rookie draft with slotted contracts based on draft selection, partially guaranteed contracts, a salary cap based on NFL rules and use of a franchise tag.
“Fantasy participants have evolved into knowledgeable, analytical, sophisticated users. Other platforms on the market lack the real front-office experience that many users seek,” said Matthew Papson, RSO’s founder. “Reality Sports Online was designed to meet the needs of those who desire a robust platform with realistic features.”
Drawing from their own knowledge and expertise, the creators of RSO built the fantasy platform so that users will experience the realities that a team faces during the process of signing players and managing its salary cap. RSO’s software provides these advanced capabilities through an intuitive user interface that can be easily navigated by even the most casual fantasy fan.
The Free Agency Auction Room is RSO’s most innovative feature. While standard fantasy platforms use traditional snake or simple auction drafts to select players, RSO’s Free Agency Auction allows participants to negotiate multi-year contracts live, instantaneously. An algorithm acts as artificial intelligence on behalf of the player to determine the most desirable offer. The algorithm scores contracts of varying lengths and amounts against each other, factoring the same variables that professional athletes and agents use when selecting a contract, such as its length, guarantees and per year average.
RSO’s fantasy football platform, which supports both public and private fantasy leagues, costs $9.99 per team. League and team registration is open at RealitySportsOnline.com.
About Reality Sports Online
Formed in 2011 by former NFL team personnel, Reality Sports Online’s mission is to deliver fantasy sports platforms that emulate the front office operations and general manager experience of professional sports organizations. Reality Sports Online satisfies the needs of the fantasy elite by providing the world’s most engaging and realistic fantasy experience.
Media Contact: Michael Starosciak | mstar@realitysportsonline.com | 908.601.6171
CBSSPORTS.COM ANNOUNCES THE FANTASY FOOTBALL
DEVELOPER CHALLENGE
With $75,000 up for grabs, CBSSports.com hosts the first-ever
fantasy sports developer challenge for its open platform
JUNE 12, 2012: CBSSports.com today announced it is hosting the first ever developer challenge* aimed at the fantasy sports industry. The CBSSports.com Fantasy Football Developer Challenge (cbssports.com/devchallenge) will encourage any companies or individuals in the fantasy sports industry as well as the developer community at large to create apps to be used by millions of fantasy football players around the world.
The announcement was made by Jason Kint, Senior Vice President and General Manager of CBSSports.com, at the 2012 Fantasy Sports Trade Association (FSTA) Summer Conference in San Francisco.
“Combining the passion surrounding fantasy football with the genius and creativity of the development community should provide for a hotly contested competition,” said Kint. “We’re excited to see what apps come from the Developer Challenge and how, once integrated in the open Fantasy Platform, these tools enhance the fun of fantasy football for the millions of die-hard players on CBSSports.com.”
Individuals or companies interested in participating in the CBSSports.com Fantasy Football Developer Challenge are encouraged to visit cbssports.com/devchallenge to sign up for the contest.
According to the FSTA, there are currently 32.8 million fantasy sports players in the United States and of that figure, 24.3 million (74%) play fantasy football. With $75,000 up for grabs, the CBSSports.com Fantasy Football Developer Challenge will award cash prizes to three winning apps with the following distribution:
- · 1st place: $60,000
- · 2nd place: $10,000
- · 3rd place: $5,000
The CBSSports.com Fantasy Football Developer Challenge officially begins today and will close with the start of the NFL regular season on Wednesday, Sep. 5th. The categories of apps developers can build include: Draft, Roster Management, Results (live scoring, schedule, standings), Content, Administration, and Communications/Social.
Apps will be judged on the following five criteria, each accounting for 20% of the overall evaluation: Originality of concept, design and visual appeal, utility, fantasy value, and market potential. Judging will be performed by a panel of five judges, each with a deep history in the fantasy sports industry:
- · Paul Charchian: Founder of Fanball, LeagueSafe (leaguesafe.com) and current President of the FSTA
- · Tony Fernandez: Vice President of Technology for CBSSports.com
- · Geoff Reiss: CEO of the Professional Bowlers Association (bio), and former ESPN executive who managed the launch of ESPN.com and the fantasy sports products on ESPN.com
- · Dave Richard: Senior Fantasy Football Writer for CBSSports.com (link)
- · Rick Wolf: Founder & CEO, Full Moon Sports Solutions (fullmoonws.com), FSTA Hall of Famer
The CBSSports.com Fantasy Football Developer Challenge is the result of CBSSports.com’s announcement this past January that its award-winning fantasy sports service would open its doors to third party developers and companies to create apps for their products and services. CBSSports.com’s open Fantasy Platform represents the first of its kind in the fantasy sports industry.
With the open Fantasy Platform, the millions of dedicated fantasy sports players at CBSSports.com can integrate products and services from across the industry directly into their fantasy game experience on CBSSports.com. With now over a 1,000 developers registered, the CBSSports.com open Fantasy Platform Development Center is located at: developer.cbssports.com
SportsLine.com, now CBSSports.com, was one of the earliest online companies to offer fantasy sports, beginning in 1996. Using the Commissioner.com fantasy platform (acquired in 1999), CBSSports.com’s fantasy sports products and games have been some of the most popular in the industry and have won eight of the past eleven FSTA awards for best Fantasy Commissioner Product. In 2011, CBSSports.com offered fantasy sports products for pro football, baseball, basketball, college football, hockey, and golf.
Statistics from the millions of loyal CBSSports.com fantasy sports players:
- · Pay to play on CBSSports.com: 60%
- · Play fantasy football: 87%
- · Average age: 34
- · Average income: $82,600
- · Played six or more seasons with CBSSports.com: 83%
Individuals or companies interested in participating in the CBSSports.com Fantasy Football Developer Challenge should visit cbssports.com/devchallenge or scan the following QR code from their mobile device to sign up for the contest.
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| We’re less than a week away from the FSTA Business & Technology Summit sponsored by CBSSports.com and there are a couple last-minute odds and ends we’d like to share with you.
Registration: There’s still time sign up for the conference – June 11-12 at the Marriott Union Square in San Francisco. And walk-ups are most definitely welcome. Don’t miss out on the great program we have planned as well as the fantastic networking opportunity. Click here to register and get more details about the conference. An agenda of scheduled panels, speakers and events can be found here and includes:
- One-on-One Conversation: Brent Jones, San Francisco 49ers and Northgate Capital
- Distributing & Monetizing Content: Brian Grey, Bleacher Report; Scott Hershkowitz, Facebook; Jason Kint, CBSSports.com; Kent Schacht, ESPN
- Building a Challenger Brand: Paul Inouye, Perella Weinberg Partners; Brian Mead, Yahoo!; Chris Russo, CR Media Ventures
- Game Design Lessons: Chris Esaki, Microsoft Game Studios; Brian Morrisroe, Booyah; Scott Philip, Wedge Buster
- Analytics, Analytics, Analytics: Greg Moore, Sportvision; Steve Byrd, STATS; Paraag Marathe, San Francisco 49ers
Additionally:
- We’d like to welcome Bam Software and Services as the sponsor of our draft party on June 11. A few sponsorships remain. Check them out here and contact FSTA Association Director Megan Van Petten with inquiries
- There are a couple of spots left in the Elevator Pitch. The prize is a one-year FSTA membership
- Once again, the entire conference will be professionally videotaped and available to attendees. Here’s a look at the Winter Conference in January
- We’ll also have a complementary photographer available during the entire conference with a professional backdrop for member company photos
- If you purchased a ticket to the June 12 Giants game, you’ll pick it up at registration (there are still a couple of tickets left, so reach out to Megan if you’re interested or talk to her at registration)
- If you drove to the Marriott, see Megan at registration for a parking pass
Attendee list:Over 130 people representing nearly 80 companies will be attending the conference. Check out the list … and add your name to it today!
| 49ers/Northgate Capital |
| Advanced Sports Logic, Inc
Advanced Sports Media |
| All Pro Leagues |
| Automated Insights / StatSheet |
| BAM Software and Services LLC |
| Big Game Software |
| Big Play Scoring, LLC |
| Bleacher Report |
| Blue Ox Entertainment |
| Booyah |
| Broken Thumbs Apps |
| CBSSports.com |
| CDMSports |
| Competitive Sports Analysis |
| C-Scape Consulting Corporation |
| Daily Joust |
| ESPN |
| Facebook |
| FanDuel.com |
| Fanmouth |
| Fantasy Football Fest |
| Fantasy Sports Writers Association |
| FantasyAlarm.com |
| FantasyDispute.com |
| FantasyPros |
| FFToday.com |
| FightMetric |
| Football Die Hards |
| Footballguys.com |
| FOX Sports |
| Front Office Media LLC |
| Full Moon |
| Global Sports Media |
| Good Call Sports |
| Head2Head Sports |
| Icon Sports Media, Inc. |
| InGamer |
| KFFL.com |
| LeagueSafe.com |
| Left Tackle LLC |
| Microsoft |
| NASCAR Media Group |
| National Football League |
| NBC Sports |
| NFL |
| PaySafecard.com |
| Perella |
| Pickemfirst |
| Prediculous |
| Qwigie Games, Inc. |
| RackSpace |
| RealTime Fantasy Sports Inc. |
| RotoGrinders.com |
| ROTOWire.com/ROTOSports Inc. |
| San Francisco 49ers |
| Sirius XM |
| Sonnenschein |
| SpinBall Enterprises |
| Sports Technologies, LLC |
| SportsData, LLC |
| SportsDirect, Inc. |
| Sportvision |
| StarStreet |
| STATS |
| Switch-Hit.com |
| TenXer |
| The Sports Network |
| Top Rank Fantasy Sports |
| USA TODAY |
| Wedge Buster |
| XML Team Solutions |
| Yahoo! |
| YouGaming.com |
| Ziguana |
| Zynga |
Once again, click here to register for the FSTA Business & Technology Summit sponsored by CBSSports.com.
Questions? Email us at news@fsta.org.
See you in San Francisco!
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The Fantasy Sports Trade Association announced Wednesday that Matthew Berry, aka “The Talented Mr. Roto,” has been elected to the organization’s Hall of Fame.
Berry is ESPN’s Senior Fantasy Sports Analyst. He is an Emmy Award winner for his co-hosting work on “Fantasy Football Now” and he appears regularly on other ESPN TV and radio shows including “Sunday NFL Countdown,” “SportsCenter” and “NFL Live.” The “Fantasy Focus” podcast he co-hosts is a three-time award winner from PodcastAwards.com.
“Matthew’s combination of insight and humor has been embraced by millions of fantasy sports players, and has led to the mainstreaming of fantasy sports,” said FSTA president Paul Charchian. “Like hundreds of other people in our industry, Matthew started as a writer. But his ambition and talent differentiated him quickly as he started his own site, and eventually created RotoPass, a multi-site subscription service. Matthew’s efforts have led to him becoming the public identity of fantasy sports, and has secured his place in our history.”
As noted by Charchian, Berry started his professional fantasy sports career in 1999 as a columnist for Rotoworld.com. In 2004, he founded both RotoPass.com and TalentedMrRoto.com. Two years later, he was hired as the fantasy football analyst for ESPN2’s “The Fantasy Show.” Soon after, ESPN acquired TalentedMrRoto.com and Berry joined ESPN full time.
Prior to joining ESPN exclusively, Berry wrote for and/or appeared on a number of other media outlets including: MLB.com, NBA.com, SportingNews.com, The Sporting News magazine, NFL Network, NBA TV, Fox Sports Net, Fox Sports Radio Network, Sporting News Radio, SportsIllustrated.com, NPR, Slam Magazine and Sirius Satellite Radio. He has also made appearances on “Dancing with the Stars,” “One Life to Live,” “The League” and had his likeness included in the “Madden ‘11” video game.
Berry is a five-time Fantasy Sports Writer of the Year winner and a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association Hall of Fame. He has over 350,000 Twitter followers and his first book, “Fantasy Life,” will be released in Summer 2013.
Berry becomes the 14th member of the FSTA Hall of Fame, joining previous honorees Greg Ambrosius, John Benson, Cliff Charpentier, John Dewan, Bill James, Daniel Okrent, Peter Pezaris, Peter Schoenke, Ron Shandler, Glen Waggoner, Charlie Wiegert, Bill Winkenbach and Rick Wolf.
Induction ceremonies will take place at the FSTA Business & Technology Summit sponsored by CBSSports.com in San Francisco on the night of June 11. Click here to register for the conference, which is being held at the Marriott Union Square. An agenda can be found here if you’d like to learn more about this unique opportunity.
We’re a month away from the FSTA Business & Technology Summit sponsored by CBSSports.com and you’ll be pleased to know that we’re on pace for a recording-setting crowd at the June 11-12 event in San Francisco.
In fact, we’ve grown so much that the conference is approaching Marriott Union Square ballroom capacity. As a result, the FSTA Board is actually discussing the possibility of having to take the unprecedented step of cutting off registrations if we hit those capacity numbers.
So, what does this mean for you? Basically, if you’re on the fence about whether or not to attend – or just procrastinating – don’t delay and sign up today!
Click here to register and find out more details about the conference. You can also review our ever-expanding agenda here.
At the time you register, you’ll also be able to purchase tickets to the Astros-Giants game on June 12. The FSTA has rented sponsorable “All-Star Suites” at AT&T Park and tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis, costing $151 each. Due to the large number of conference attendees, only a limited amount of tickets remain.
Here’s just a taste of the fantastic panels and speakers that we’ve lined up, many of which are unique to the Bay Area and our goal of once again focusing on technology at this conference:
- Keynote: Brent Jones, San Francisco 49ers and Northgate Capital
- Building a Challenger Brand: Paul Inouye, Perella Weinberg Partners; Chris Russo; Brian Mead, Yahoo!
- Game Design Lessons: Brian Morrisroe, Booyah; Chris Esaki, Microsoft Game Studios
- Analytics, Analytics, Analytics: Greg Moore, Sportvision; Steve Byrd, STATS
Reserve your room at the Marriott Union Square (480 Sutter Street) by clicking here. The special FSTA room rate of $199/night is available until May 25. If you prefer to make your room reservation by phone, call 415-398-8900 or 1-866-912-0973 and use the block code FAN in order to get the conference rate.
A number of sponsorship opportunities still remain, as well. Contact FSTA Association Director Megan Van Petten for more information.
Finally, whether you’re an FSTA veteran or new to the fantasy sports space and trying to decide about attending the FSTA Business & Technology Summit sponsored by CBSSports.com, take a moment to check out video from January’s Winter Conference and FSTA Fantasy Baseball Experts Draft. This will give you a flavor for the conference and demonstrate why FSTA conferences are the premier networking events in the industry.
Questions about the FSTA Business & Technology Summit sponsored by CBSSports.com? Contact us at news@fsta.org.
The Fantasy Sports Trade Association is thrilled to announce that CBSSports.com will be the title sponsor of the upcoming FSTA Business & Technology Summit.
The FSTA Business & Technology Summit sponsored by CBSSports.com will be held June 11-12 at the Marriott Union Square in San Francisco, Calif.
Registration: Click here to register and find out more details about the conference. You can also review our in-progress conference agenda, here.
Register by May 1 to receive a significant Early Bird Discount on your registration. It’s $449 for FSTA members, $599 for non-FSTA members until May 1 — this is a firm date — when fees will increase to $599 and $749, respectively. So, book today!
Giants game and sponsorship opportunities: At the time you register, you’ll also be able to take advantage of a unique opportunity for conference attendees. The FSTA has rented five, sponsorable “All-Star Suites” at AT&T Park for the Astros-Giants game on June 12. Tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis and cost $151 each. The price includes snacks and beverages. Sponsorships remain for four of the five suites – with STATS LLC already having purchased the first sponsorship.
And, speaking of sponsorships, the FSTA would also like to announce that RealTime Fantasy Sports has signed on to be the official Technology Sponsor for the conference.
Be sure to contact FSTA Association Director Megan Van Petten for more information on the “All-Star Suites” sponsorship opportunity as well as a number of others that remain available. A complete list of sponsorships can be found here.
Hotel: Reserve your room at the Marriott Union Square (480 Sutter Street) by clicking here. The special FSTA room rate of $199/night is available until May 25. If you prefer to make your room reservation by phone, call 415-398-8900 or 1-866-912-0973 and use the block code FAN in order to get the conference rate.
Football draft and Elevator Pitch: The conference will open with the annual FSTA Fantasy Football Experts Draft – carried live by SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio – on the night of June 11 at 5 p.m. PT, along with a Meet & Greet reception with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. The FSTA Hall of Fame induction ceremony will also take place that evening.
Also returning is the Elevator Pitch! Do you have a new business or idea that will revolutionize the fantasy sports industry? This is your chance to get your idea out to a room full of decision makers! There are a limited amount of spaces left to participate. Contact Megan for more details.
Video from FSTA Winter Conference: Finally, whether you’re an FSTA veteran or new to the fantasy sports space and trying to decide about attending the FSTA Business & Technology Summit sponsored by CBSSports.com, take a moment to check out video from January’s Winter Conference and FSTA Fantasy Baseball Experts Draft. This will give you a flavor for the conference and demonstrate why FSTA conferences are the premier networking events in the industry.
Questions about the FSTA Business & Technology Summit sponsored by CBSSports.com? Contact us at news@fsta.org.
Tough To Beat-Election Behind Him, Rick Santorum Plays Fantasy Baseball
Apr 13, 2012 4:45 AM EDT
The former Pennsylvania Senator grew up rooting for the San Francisco Giants, the Dallas Cowboys, and the Chicago Blackhawks—and he still won’t wear a Flyers’ cap.
“This year I felt I was getting rings run around me.”
Rick Santorum is having a bad week, not only because he suspended his presidential campaign on Tuesday, but because he hadn’t time to prepare for his fantasy baseball draft this week. The former Pennsylvania Senator’s team, “For The Glory,” named after the first three words of Penn State’s fight song, was about to start its 17th year in his long-running league, and for some reason he hadn’t had time to get ready for the big day.
Santorum, who finished second in his league last year, is trying to made it back to the top.
In his first interview since dropping his presidential bid, Santorum wanted to talk about the things that really matter, so no Etch A Sketches, aspirins, or wars on caterpillars—but baseball, and a bit of football and hockey too.
The seven-time league champion, who stayed dedicated to his team through the distraction of his U.S. Senate career (and won five years in a row while serving in that chamber), credited his success to “doing a lot of off-season reading.” To win, he said, “you’ve gotta do your homework.”
Because he’s a dedicated Pittsburgh Pirates fan, Santorum plays in an American League-only league with 12 teams of 23 players apiece, the type of league that’s “so thin, you end up drafting middle relievers and backup infielders.” He chose this type of league not because he’s a baseball nerd—though he is one—but to avoid putting himself in an awkward position where he wanted the Pirates to win but players he owned on the other team to do well, let alone “feeling guilty that [he] didn’t draft a home-town team.”
The Fantasy Sports Trade Association announces requests for submissions from those interested in participating in the 2012 Fantasy Baseball Projection Accuracy Challenge.
The FSTA, in conjunction with TheMostCredible.com and FantasyDispute.com, will be analyzing fantasy baseball projections from participants. The projections will be compared with actual player statistics at the end of the season, and awards will be presented based on the accuracy of those predictions.
Congratulations once again to the 2011 finalists listed below. Awards were presented in January during the FSTA Winter Conference at The Mirage in Las Vegas.
2011 Fantasy Baseball Projections Results
1. RotoHog / Fastpoint Games
2. Rotoworld
3. KFFL
4. Fantasy Pros 911
5. ESPN
6. Draft Analyzer
7. Sandlot Shrink
8. RotoExperts
9. Sons of Roto
10. Razzball
Rules
Submissions will be accepted immediately; however the projections MUST be final before the first game of the season, March 28, 2012.
Submissions may be accepted throughout the season; however if they are submitted after the March 28 deadline, it must be verifiable that the projections were published and publicly available (whether free or pay-model) prior to the deadline.
Submitters must fill in projected statistics for all 250 players on a spreadsheet that is available at http://www.fsta.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/2012_FSTA_Fantasy_Baseball_Accuracy_Contest_Template.xls as well as at http://www.fsta.org.
Awards will be for accuracy of projected player statistics compared with actual year-end player statistics. Accuracy will be judged based on a combination of relative scoring (entrant closest to actual statistic vs. other entrants) and range based scoring using tables that are also available on the FSTA website.
Player statistics will be judged for the following categories for hitters: Runs, Home Runs, RBI, Stolen Bases and Batting Average.
Player statistics will be judged for the following categories for pitchers: Wins, Strikeouts, Saves, ERA and WHIP.
Submissions should be sent simultaneously to FSTA.Accuracy.Contest@gmail.com, Donnie Campbell at dc@themostcredible.com and Bill Green at greenbill@fantasydispute.com.
Awards will be presented at the 2013 FSTA Winter Conference and published in the “Fantasy Sports Report.” In order to encourage participation (without fear of embarrassment), final results will NOT be published, except for the names of all entrants and the names of the highest ranking entrants (approximately the top third – minimum of top 10).
Judges:
Donnie Campbell, http://www.themostcredible.com
Bill Green, http://www.fantasydispute.com
Your organization must be an FSTA member to be eligible to win the FSTA award, but anyone can participate. FSTA membership is available through the FSTA at http://www.fsta.org.
Questions? Email us at: news@fsta.org.
Fantasy football joins Md. legislature’s late-session frenzy
By Greg Masters
With just over three weeks to go, the Maryland General Assembly faces a long — and likely grueling — to-do list that includes showdowns over tax hikes, septic systems and offshore wind-power.
But a House panel hearing on Friday offered a bit of levity, as a Baltimore County lawmaker drew his colleagues’ attention to a less contentious issue: fantasy football.
A fantasy football draft. (Al Behrman – AP)
Del. John Olszewski Jr. (D) tried to win support from the Ways and Means Committee for a bill that would explicitly allow Marylanders to compete for cash and prizes in fantasy sports leagues.
While federal anti-gambling laws specifically exempt fantasy sports, Maryland is one of a few states that could potentially punish people who play for cash in such leagues.
“All we’re asking is to give our residents the same opportunity that most other folks around the country enjoy,” Olszewski said.
For the uninitiated, playing in a fantasy sports league involves assembling an imaginary team of real athletes and pitting it against other imaginary teams, with results determined by the athletes’ real-world statistical performances.
Olszewski said players in Maryland were “ensnared” by a 2006 opinion on poker tournaments issued by the state’s attorney general’s office, which said gambling includes any game that requires decisions, the element of chance and a prize.
That opinion is a major reason fantasy football league organizers such as CBS and ESPN exclude Marylanders from winning prizes, Olszewski said.
“Our residents are technically not allowed to win T-shirts or a trophy. It goes beyond the cash piece of it,” he said in an interview before the hearing.
He was joined by members of the Fantasy Sports Trade Association.
Travis McCoy, a lobbyist for the association, told lawmakers that fantasy sports is a “mainstream” hobby that “fathers and sons can play together.”
Del. Samuel I. Rosenberg (D-Baltimore), a sports enthusiast who is also vice-chair of the committee, jokingly remarked that he doesn’t play fantasy sports because it could clash with rooting for his home team.
“How can you justify —” he began, before being cut off by laughter from his colleagues.
“I’m for the bill, but that’s my problem,” he said.
After the hearing, Olszewski said he was cheered by Rosenberg’s comment.
“It was great the the vice-chair sort of openly expressed his support for the bill,” he said. “Everyone I’ve talked to in the committee is either supportive or doesn’t seem to have any real opposition to it. So I think it’s just a question of if it’s brought to a vote or not,” he said.
The hearing lasted only 15 minutes, in sharp contrast to a bill before the same committee earlier in the day that would authorize a casino in Prince George’s County. That bill drew three hours’ worth of testimony from dozens of witnesses.
TORONTO, March 14, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ — InGamer Fantasy Inc., an innovator in real-time second screen gaming for sports publishers, announced that it has secured investment from a group of strategic investors. The funding round will be used to enhance InGamer’s product offering and expand sales & distribution in preparation for their US launch in September, 2012.
Upon closing, InGamer promptly partnered with Full Moon Sports Solutions by naming Rick Wolf EVP of Strategic Partnerships. Rick became familiar with InGamer while serving as Director of Business Development at NBC Sports Digital.
“Rick has played key early stage roles at SportsLine and Allstar Stats (Rotoworld), both purchased by U.S Networks, and has been instrumental in the growth of Fantasy Sports worldwide,” adds Nic Sulsky, co-Founder of InGamer. “He has been a part of some amazing U.S. success stories, so we figured it was about time he was involved in an International one.”
“Broadcasters, radio stations and local newspaper sites are fiddling with 2nd screen experiences,” said Rick Wolf, CEO Full Moon Sports Solutions. “InGamer’s unique 2nd screen social platform utilizing fantasy sports will revolutionize in-game companion products. In any category, when you find the winner, getting involved as early as possible makes the most sense.”
InGamer has had early success with several Canadian broadcasters and now, with the ongoing support of their strategic partner IMG Media, their sights are firmly set on International audiences.
“Enhancing shows or events with a relevant, real-time 2nd screen experience will drive eyeballs, engagement and revenue,” said Michael Dierks, VP of Digital, IMG Media. “We’re excited to be working with InGamer and Rick not only here in the U.S. but on a global level as we create new partnerships around this evolving area of media.”
More than 80% of all sports fans watch with a companion device in tow. By integrating real-time conversation into a gamified companion product that is measurable and trackable, InGamer is pushing the envelope of true integrated media. Media companies and Brands need more effective ways to monetize the evolving audience and InGamer provides the perfect second screen bridge to the new social sports fan.
Play for free at www.ingamer.com
About InGamer Fantasy Inc. (twitter:@ingamersports):InGamer Fantasy Inc. provides interactive companion sports and entertainment games for the web and mobile devices. InGamer’s innovative combination of live event statistics with real-time game dynamics provides a common socially competitive experience for spectators of live events; and those broadcasters, distributors and brands who want to engage the modern audience.
www.ingamer.com
SOURCE InGamer Fantasy Inc.
Copyright (C) 2012 PR Newswire. All rights reserved
CALLING ALL CUBES!
CBSSPORTS.COM LAUNCHES NCAA® MARCH MADNESS® CUBE MANIA
Fans encouraged to decorate work space with their favorite March Madness team colors and submit photos on Facebook
Sponsored by Lowe’s, Official Corporate Partner of the NCAA, photo of the winning work space will be announced during The Final Four Show®
FT. LAUDERDALE, FL. MARCH 9, 2012: To celebrate the passion and excitement of March Madness, CBSSports.com and Lowe’s present the NCAA March Madness Cube Mania contest* for the 2012 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship. Between now and March 25th, fans are encouraged to decorate their work space with favorite team colors and logos. Once decoration is complete, photos of their work place can be uploaded to the CBS Sports page on Facebook (Facebook.com/CBSSports) to enter the NCAA March Madness Cube Mania contest. Fans can then share their photo through social media platforms and encourage friends to vote. The grand prize winning photo will be announced on CBS during The Final Four Show prior to the Men’s Final Four semifinal games on March 31, 2012.
NCAA March Madness Cube Mania contest details:
- Contest begins March 9, 2012 on Facebook.com/CBSSports.
- Fans can sort through a gallery of photos and sort by most popular, teams represented and participating companies.
- Photos can be submitted through March 25, 2012.
- The public may vote on the submitted photos from March 26 to March 30, 2012.
- Three winners will be selected by a combination of public votes, and judging by the Social Media department at CBSSports.com based on originality and creativity.
- Grand prize winner’s photo will be announced on March 31, 2012 during The Final Four Show on CBS and receive a $300 gift card to Lowe’s. Two secondary winners will receive $150 Lowe’s gift cards.
****************
*No Purchase Necessary to enter or win. Open to legal residents of the U.S., at least 18 or age of majority, whichever is older in state of residence, at time of entry. Contest ends at 11:59:59pm ET on March 31, 2012. Contest void in Puerto Rico, all U.S. territories and possessions, outside the 50 U.S. and where prohibited by law. See rules for details at Facebook.com/CBSSports.
About CBSSports.com
CBSSports.com is a division of CBS Interactive, the premier online content network for information and entertainment. Its brands dive deep into the things people care most about across news, sports, entertainment, technology and business. Leading properties include CNET, CBS.com, CBSSports.com, CBSNews.com, GameSpot, TV.com, BNET and many more. With hundreds of millions of unique visitors from around the world each month, CBS Interactive is a global top 10 Web property and the largest premium content network online.
Follow CBS Sports on Twitter: twitter.com/cbssports and on Facebook: facebook.com/cbssports
More information about CBS and its businesses is available at cbscorporation.com.
Press Contacts:
Alex Riethmiller – CBSSports.com 954.689.3334 ariethmiller@cbs.com
Posted Jan. 28, 2012 @ 1:44 p.m. ET
By William Del Pilar
The Fantasy Sports Trade Association (FSTA) winter conference took place Jan. 16-17 and featured Jaguars RB Maurice Jones-Drew, who took part in the “Power Tweeters” panel. There was an experts baseball draft, awards and honors were given out and a good time was had by everyone involved.
The trade conference has been going on for years, and its origins go back to the Fantasy Insights ‘98 Fantasy Football Convention. Geared toward fans, that convention, we were told, could draw tens of thousands of attendees. Then, that number became thousands, and finally the day before it began, we were told how strongly they were advertising and expecting an influx off the street. To say early ticket sales were down would be a gross understatement. Looking back, I would guess 20-50 individuals came through the two-day event. No one was upset. There was too much excitement generated just by meeting one another in a new industry and understanding we were trailblazers. It was an exciting time.
Now that I’m older, I have an appreciation for those days and what we were doing. We could sense a great future, though we knew there would be battles in the beginning to convince the government that fantasy sports was not gambling.
Some of the exhibitors began to talk about forming an association, and that was the logical move. Especially since the NFL was sending out cease-and-desist letters to both content and commissioner sites. The league claimed it owned the rights to statistics but didn’t exclude content companies from its attacks. Eventually, the NFL came around, and it was MLB Advanced Media (MLBAM) that was taken to court.
CBC Distribution and Marketing Inc., the parent company of CDM Sports, was denied a license to use player statistics, forcing the company to sue. This brought the elephant in the room to the forefront in a decision that would make or break the industry. Realize this: We were a young industry, and many could have lost years of work and jobs. Once we had built an industry, the professional leagues were now ready to take control of it.
The issue was license fees for statistics. At the time possibly a dozen companies were paying fees, but that number always changed. The ESPNs and Yahoo!s of the world and the venture-backed companies usually had licenses. Those who could afford it. The leagues were generating a fraction of the dollars they felt they should, but they were generating some fees. Now, everything was on the line. This helped unite the industry, and the courts eventually ruled against the pro leagues. It was a great day, and I remember the association at a conference giving Charlie Wiegert, the face of CDM, a thunderous round of applause. Who says the little guy can’t win?
The FSTA has gone through many changes in leadership and members, but the core group of individuals are still there. Now many are being honored yearly with induction into the FSTA and Fantasy Sports Writers Association’s halls of fame. It’s always special and exciting to see friends, including employees of my now-former company, to talk shop and look toward the future while enjoying the present. It’s hard to believe it’s going on 14 years since the first time this industry informally met, and it’s still growing in stature and respectability.
FSTA winter conference highlights
SiriusXM Radio broadcast the FSTA experts league baseball draft live, and it was the second time it did this. There’s no better way to maximize a draft than having a radio show dedicated to it. It’s a big step forward as experts leagues are all about their drafts and analyzing them. Once a team drafts, everyone’s mental frame moves into in-season mode, and those outside the players don’t care who wins. Maximizing the day of the draft is where the focus should be.
While the draft is a big event, if you’re not involved in it, you usually have no interest. Bottom line: Do you want to stand in a room and listen to a person pick a team that you have nothing invested in? Not really, and that’s just human nature, so the radio format makes sense.
The Power Tweeters panel was when Maurice Jones-Drew made his appearance with Steve Gardner of USA Today and Matthew Berry of ESPN. It was a lively debate, and they gave tips on how they feel Twitter should be used, how they view themselves within Twitter and the pros and cons they’ve experienced.
MJD was asked about his Twitter comments regarding Bears QB Jay Cutler and his injury in the 2010 NFC championship game, and Berry talked about having to write a retraction after passing information along without first verifying it. The point to remember is that you can’t take back what you post on Twitter. For those who know me and my love of politics, that point is well taken by yours truly.
MJD is not tall but stocky, yet you would never think he’s a professional football player. There’s no denying his passion and heart to play his profession and how much he’s had to overcome. He’s someone for all of us to look up to. He enjoys the game of fantasy football, and there was a good back-and-forth on where Berry had him ranked. MJD was stating his case to be the No. 1 running back heading into 2012.
Remember, he led the league in rushing in 2011. For me, seeing MJD is one of the perks of the association as it has brought in personalities from MJD to Hall of Fame QB Warren Moon to the former head of the MLB Players Association, Donald Fehr. Being in the industry, I hear the stories the public often doesn’t. Nothing major, just more detailed insight from those who know a person or have worked with him before. It’s just a part of the job that makes it more enjoyable.
Although not of much interest to most attendees, being Latino, I found the Latino market pitch interesting. The Elevator pitch is when new companies highlight who they are and what they do. Fut11.com is providing fantasy soccer in Mexico. Latinos have a passion for soccer, boxing, basketball and baseball, and not in that order, depending on what country you’re in. The numbers are nowhere near where they need to be, but it’s a different market, and one that will require patience and financial support before a profit that would interest investors is possible. They’re slowly growing and are looking for ways to expand. Eventually a company like that will catch the eye of venture capital or as a possible acquisition by a larger organization. Fantasy sports continues to grow around the world.
Tableau Software is a technology I found interesting, and it’s been used in other industries. When the company opened it up to other users, it found a big response from the fantasy sports community, the stats guys, but this industry is merely a drop of their real revenue. I’m glad someone over there at least introduced it to the fantasy community. It allows the user to create maps, bars and line charts among its many features. This tool has the potential for bloggers to relay visually what they’re trying to say with normal charts and columns created quickly and in various formats. It’s a software that I am looking forward to trying as I always use statistical numbers to back up my points. You can see some of the visual samples Tableau can do here.
There was so much more information and companies to network with. If you’re a company in the industry and you’re not attending the conferences, it’s a shame, as you’re missing out on a lot of information and networking opportunities.
In fact, when the conferences first began, most of the companies would gather at the hotel lounge, as Las Vegas was where most of the events were held early on. It was a great time, but that stopped for many years as most would go off on their own and enjoy an evening with work friends or business partners.
However, this year was like old times as many ended up in the same lounge at the Mirage in Las Vegas instead of going out. It was nice because most of those individuals were the ones who founded this industry. It was great to see RotoWire, Yahoo! Sports, KFFL, ESPN and Fantasy Diehard’s Emil Kadlec, who co-founded the high-stakes industry and is the publisher of the longest-running fantasy magazine still around. While different, it was reminiscent of old times for this industry veteran.
As we were chatting, I looked over and mentioned this to Kadlec and jokingly wondered if age had anything to do with the familiar faces around. Once young and single, many of us are now married, and some have kids. With receding hair lines and expanded waistlines and after a hearty dinner and awards banquet, going out all night on the town in Vegas and making new memories took a backseat. Most ended up relaxing, talking shop with old friends and enjoying the past and present, as well as eying the future with a positive outlook.
Since its formation in 1999, the FSTA remains the same at its core, with many of the industry’s founders still actively involved. It’s easy to stay part of an industry when most of us feel we have the best jobs in the world. I can’t end this without a hearty thank-you to Paul Charchian and Megan Van Patten for putting on an outstanding event.
USA TODAY fantasy family gets a major addition
By Steve Gardner, USA TODAY
USA TODAY’s Sports Media Group announced Tuesday the acquisition of Fantasy Sports Ventures and Big Lead Sports in a deal that will bring a significant collection of fantasy resources under one umbrella. USA TODAY’s parent company, Gannett Inc., already owned a 30% stake in Big Lead Sports and this deal just completed the purchase.
Fantasy sports players will recognize many of the sites that are part of Big Lead, including BaseballHQ.com, KFFL.com and Baseball-Reference.com to name just a few.
While we don’t know just yet how our sites will all fit together, we do know that we’ve already established great working relationships with many of those sites. The deal seems to indicate there are bigger and better things on the horizon.
“(T)his gets us into the fantasy business in a meaningful way,” USA TODAY Sports Media Group President Tom Beusse told Sports Business Daily. “Quite frankly, there’s an awful lot we can do with this.”
For those who visit Fantasy Windup and USATODAY.com for their fantasy sports news, the news can’t be anything but positive. As BaseballHQ.com founder Ron Shandler told his subscribers today:
“Since we have already forged strong bonds within the USAT organization — through our regular in-season contributions to the daily newspaper and Sports Weekly — we have set a foundation to give BaseballHQ.com more visibility and growth potential,” Shandler wrote.
“While that might not be good news to those who consider us their ’secret information source,’ much of our work went mainstream a long time ago. This new relationship will give us the opportunity to break more new ground and continue to pioneer new and better ways to play and win at fantasy baseball.”
I’ll echo what Ron says (and why wouldn’t I — he was just inducted into the Fantasy Sports Writers Hall of Fame). This is great news for everyone who plays fantasy sports. We look forward to the opportunity to put even more fantasy resources at your fingertips.
| The FSTA Winter Conference sponsored by CBSSports.com was held last week in Las Vegas with a record 220-plus attendees, representing over 100 different companies, gathering at The Mirage.
Among the highlights of the two-day event:
- a lively “Power Tweeters” panel featuring Jacksonville Jaguars RB Maurice Jones-Drew, ESPN’s Matthew Berry and USA TODAY’s Steve Gardner;
- compelling market and demographic research presented by Ipsos and Professors Andrew Billings and Brody Ruihley (all of which will be made available to FSTA members via their login at FSTA.org);
- CBSSports.com’s announcement that it’s opening up its fantasy sports API to third-party developers and companies to create apps for their products and services;
- the annual FSTA Expert League Baseball Draft that aired live on SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio;
- informative panels on Changing Business Models, Non-Traditional Revenue Sources, New Product Demos and Facebook/social media;
- an Elevator Pitch panel, sponsored by paysafecard and won by Blue Ox Entertainment, that featured a number of new companies in the space; and
- the induction of David Dodds, Brandon Funston, Emil Kadlec, Nate Ravitz, Peter Schoenke and Ron Shandler into the Fantasy Sports Writers Association Hall of Fame
The FSTA also announced the following winners of the 2011 FSTA Awards at Tuesday night’s banquet sponsored by Associated Press:
- Best Commissioner: MyFantasyLeague.com
- Most Innovative Fantasy Contest: ESPN, Streak for the Cash
- Most Innovative Fantasy Product or Service: LeagueSafe.com
- Most Outstanding Fantasy Contest: MyFantasyLeague.com, SiriusXM Fantasy Football Challenge
- Best Mobile App: CBSSports.com, Pro Football App
- Best Live Event: Stats LLC, National Fantasy Baseball Championship
- Most Valuable Fantasy Content: Rotoworld.com
- Most Valuable Fantasy Tool: Advanced Sports Media, Draft Analyzer for Fantasy Football
- Rookie of the Year: Ziguana.com
Congratulations to all of the nominees and winners on a well-deserved honor.
The FSTA thanks our attendees and sponsors for making this another fantastic event. Be on the lookout for our normal post-conference survey before the end of the month and thanks in advance for taking the time to provide the FSTA with valuable information about what you want at your conference.
We’re already looking forward to our next event in San Francisco, June 11-12, at the Marriott Union Square. You can sign up for the FSTA Summer Conference here.
Questions? E-mail us at news@fsta.org. |
THE NEXT GENERATION OF FANTASY SPORTS: THE OPEN FANTASY PLATFORM AT CBSSPORTS.COM
CBSSports.com’s award-winning fantasy sports service opens to third party developers
Six companies, including MLB.com & Bloomberg Sports, sign on to develop apps for launch of the first open platform in fantasy sports
FT. LAUDERDALE, FL. JAN. 17, 2012: CBSSports.com today announced its award-winning fantasy sports service is opening its doors to third party developers and companies to create apps for their products and services. CBSSports.com’s innovative open Fantasy Platform will represent the first of its kind in the fantasy sports industry.
Six companies, including MLB.com and Bloomberg Sports, have signed on as initial Fantasy Platform partners and will have free and/or premium apps available when CBSSports.com’s Fantasy Baseball product, featuring the new “CBSSports.com App Central,” launches on Jan. 31.
The CBSSports.com Fantasy Platform Development Center is now live for developers and companies to visit and see how their products and services can be shared with millions of highly engaged fantasy sports players. The Fantasy Platform offers developers a comprehensive set of APIs providing access to nearly all the data within CBSSports.com Fantasy Games and everything needed in order to build a customized fantasy app. The Fantasy Platform Development Center is located at: developer.cbssports.com
The Fantasy Platform announcement was made by Jason Kint, Senior Vice President and General Manager of CBSSports.com, at the 2012 Fantasy Sports Trade Association (FSTA) Winter Business Conference in Las Vegas.
“The way people play fantasy sports has dramatically changed over the last ten years with players using a ton more tools and products produced by a growing number of businesses,” said Kint. “Providing outside developers access to our proprietary service will benefit the entire fantasy industry ecosystem, creating additional value for companies, developers and advertisers while consolidating and enhancing the experience for fantasy players.”
With the Fantasy Platform, the millions of dedicated fantasy sports players at CBSSports.com can integrate products and services from across the industry directly into their fantasy game experience. By using these free and premium apps to access the Fantasy Platform, players will not only have all their tools and resources in one central location, they’ll have these products and services built directly into CBSSports.com’s fantasy sports games–leading to more efficient decision making and enhanced enjoyment.
Details about the initial Fantasy Platform launch partners and the apps they plan to offer are as follows:
Advanced Sports Media: Producer of the award-winning Draft Analyzer software, Advanced Sports Media (ASM) is focused on developing innovative software applications that help customers compete more effectively in their Fantasy Sports leagues. For the Fantasy Platform, ASM will be producing two applications: The Draft Analyzer App provides users with personalized and completely customizable draft pick advice while the Auction Analyzer App provides users with personalized bidding advice for auction leagues and is again, completely customizable with all league settings.
Bloomberg Sports: Established in 2010, Bloomberg Sports has quickly become a worldwide leader in the development of state of the art data analytic tools for both professional sports organizations and fantasy sports enthusiasts. For the Fantasy Platform, Bloomberg Sports will be developing apps around their consumer products, “Front Office” (baseball) and “Decision Maker” (football), designed for fans interested in improving their fantasy play or for following their favorite players more closely throughout the course of the season.
MLB.com: MLB.com, the official Web site of Major League Baseball, powers MLB.TV, the Internet’s most prolific live video subscription product. For the Fantasy Platform, MLB.com will be building an app that allows MLB.TV subscribers to watch their fantasy baseball teams live through a customizable experience whereby users automatically will see the live game with the most relevant action to their fantasy teams. Launching in time for the 2012 season, the app will also allow a fantasy user that chooses to watch any live MLB game to be presented with statistical data as to how on-the-field play will impact the user’s fantasy baseball team as it happens.
RotoWire: RotoWire.com is a leading content and technology provider to fantasy sports consumers and major media companies. For the Fantasy Platform, RotoWire will develop a content application around its real-time player news and in-depth player profiles to help fantasy players make the most timely and informed roster decisions possible.
StatSheet: A subsidiary of Automated Insights, Inc., StatSheet automatically transforms sports statistics into compelling narrative content, visual displays and interactive applications. For the Fantasy Platform, StatSheet will be developing “StatSmack”, the ultimate fantasy trash talking application which leverages StatSheet’s next-generation technology to arm managers with fully personalized, statistical data and trash talk that will empirically show why their team is better and why they are the better manager.
Ziguana: Ziguana brings powerful algorithms to the average fantasy manager through a simple user-friendly interface. For the Fantasy Platform, Ziguana will be releasing the “Forecaster” app which calculates a team’s probability of winning weekly matchups and makes day-to-day recommendations customized to specific league settings. For those tired of the tedium of setting their lineup, Ziguana’s “Lineup Auto-Pilot” app automatically optimizes and sets a team’s lineup each day. Ziguana will also be offering a 2012 MLB Projections app.
“CBSSports.com’s Fantasy Platform will allow us to build customizable, live experiences as we continue to develop fun ways for our fans to play fantasy baseball and follow the on-the-field action,” said Kenny Gersh, SVP, Business Development, MLB.com. “These new integrations into MLB.TV will deliver an original and exciting approach for our subscribers to watch their fantasy baseball teams live throughout 2012.”
“We are very pleased to be able to partner with CBSSports.com on this new platform, and bring what we know is the best tool for the casual or die-hard fantasy sports player, ‘Bloomberg Front Office,’ to a much wider audience,” said Bill Squadron, head of Bloomberg Sports.
SportsLine.com, now CBSSports.com, was one of the earliest companies in the fantasy industry, offering innovative fantasy products and services beginning in 1996. Using the Commissioner.com fantasy platform (acquired in 1999), CBSSports.com’s fantasy sports products and games have been some of the most popular in the industry and have won eight of the past ten FSTA awards for best Fantasy Commissioner Product. In 2011, CBSSports.com offered fantasy sports products for pro football, baseball, basketball, college football, hockey, and golf.
With a majority of its fantasy users playing paid fantasy sports, CBSSports.com has one of the most engaged and loyal fantasy sports audiences in the business. Fantasy Football players on CBSSports.com register the highest level of engagement of any major site, with players spending an average of 1 hour, 41 minutes per session and returning 4 times each week to research and optimize their rosters. (Nielsen NetRatings, September 2010)
Additionally, CBSSports.com reaches the most affluent and educated Fantasy Football audience among all major competitors: six in 10 have a household income of $75K+ and two-thirds are college-educated. (Nielsen NetRatings, September 2010)
Statistics from the millions of loyal CBSSports.com fantasy sports players:
- Pay to play on CBSSports.com: 60%
- Play fantasy football: 87%
- Average age: 34
- Average income: $82,600
- Played six or more seasons with CBSSports.com: 83%
According to the Fantasy Sports Trade Association (FSTA), there are currently 29.6 million fantasy sports players in the United States. Here’s the FSTA breakdown by sport:
- Football (72%) = 21,213,333
- Baseball (37%) = 11,050,666
- Auto Racing (24%) = 7,202,666
- Basketball (20%) = 5,821,333
- Golf (13%) = 3,749,333
- College football (13%) = 3,848,000
- Hockey (12%) = 3,552,000
- Soccer (7%) = 2,072,000
To view a promotional video for the CBSSports.com Fantasy Platform, click here: Fantasy Evolved: The CBSSports.com Open Fantasy Platform
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About CBSSports.com Fantasy Sports
CBSSports.com is a division of CBS Interactive, the premier online content network for information and entertainment. At the forefront of the fantasy sports business, CBSSports.com offers services and expert advice in fantasy sports ranging from professional and collegiate football to baseball, basketball, hockey, and golf. With a Fantasy product for virtually every sports fan, the CBSSports.com Commissioner Fantasy Sports League Management product has won eight of the past ten Fantasy Sports Trade Association (FSTA) awards for best Fantasy Commissioner Product. CBSSports.com has a tradition of innovation in the fantasy sports industry as evidenced by its robust patent portfolio. For more information about the CBSSports.com Fantasy Sports, visit cbsports.com/fantasy.
Follow CBS Sports on Twitter: twitter.com/cbssports and on Facebook: facebook.com/cbssports
More information about CBS and its businesses is available at cbscorporation.com.
Press Contacts:
Alex Riethmiller – CBSSports.com 954.599.4154 ariethmiller@cbs.com
ReedPOP to Add “Fantasy Football Fest” to its Roster
New Event Serves a Devoted Fan Base in a Thriving Industry
(NORWALK, Conn Jan. 13) – - ReedPOP, the boutique pop culture focused division of Reed Exhibitions, is launching Fantasy Football Fest, August 18-19, 2012 at the Atlantic City Convention Center, Atlantic City, NJ. Taking the virtual Fantasy Football fan experience to the gridiron, the Fantasy Football Fest will provide a unique in-person experience by catering to the passion and devotion of millions of fantasy football and general football fans. In 2010 alone, fantasy players spent in excess of $1B pursuing their passion for the game through millions of leagues all over the world.
“Every event that ReedPOP produces offers a world-class celebration of pop culture by providing unique access, up close and personal experiences and interactive events that focus on exactly what the fans want most,” said Greg Topalian, Sr. Vice President, ReedPOP. “The Fantasy Football Fest is an exciting addition to our portfolio in that it harnesses the passion of the virtual Fantasy Football world to an in-person, live event. Fantasy Football is a shining example of Pop Culture fandom taken from the very real world of football. Both men and women love it and we are eager to make this event the Super Bowl of Fantasy Football.”
Strong industry support has been secured early for the Fantasy Football Fest with additional big brands, representing video gaming, memorabilia and home electronics, to be announced in the near future. The following founding sponsors have committed prior to the launch of the event and include: Fantasy Sports Trade Association, RotoExperts, Fathead, Sirius/XM and Tailgater Monthly.
“We are very pleased and excited to be joining forces with ReedPop for this groundbreaking, one-of-a-kind event that will certainly set new standards in the Fantasy industry. The Fantasy Football Fest is definitely a major happening for every Fantasy player and their families to mark on their calendars. The time has come for the large masses of Fantasy Football participants to have their own unique event where they can not only enjoy the ultimate draft bash and Fantasy festivities, but also to revel in some incredible related experiences that will make the Fantasy Football Fest the can’t-miss weekend of the year. RotoExperts.com is thrilled to deliver this new and instantly memorable event to the Fantasy participants we are so dedicated to. This is going to be the closest match a Fantasy Football player has to a true holiday”, said Louis M Maione, CEO of RotoExperts.com.
“Fathead is exited to partner with ReedPOP on the inaugural Fantasy Football Fest. F3 is poised to become the ultimate Fantasy Football event for all ages and we’re thrilled to share our passion for Football with these enthusiastic fans,” said Joanna Cline, CMO of Fathead. “Our Real. Big. NFL wall graphics and Fantasy draft boards will add larger-than-life energy to this groundbreaking event.”
The Fantasy Football Fest expects to bring over 25,000 rabid fans in approximately 300,000 square feet of total experience space. Activities and special events include a Draft Day Party, Athlete and Celebrity appearances, Sports Video Game tournaments and free-play, interactive athletic competitions, Sports Memorabilia, a Tailgate Party and Beer Tasting. While the Fantasy Football Fest focuses on fantasy football including space for leagues to conduct drafts and fantasy experts providing tips and insights to help players’ teams perform at their best, the festival is much more than just fantasy. F3 promises to be about every aspect of professional football except strapping on the pads in getting hit. The show features will offer something for every member of the family in addition to an amazing weekend for the hardcore fantasy player.
For more information: http://www.fantasyfootballfest.com.
AboutReedPOP:
ReedPOP is a boutique group within Reed Exhibitions which is exclusively devoted to organizing events, launching and acquiring new shows, and partnering with premium brands in the pop culture arena. ReedPOP is dedicated to producing celebrations of popular culture throughout the world that transcend ordinary events by providing unique access and dynamic personal experiences for consumers and fans.
The ReedPOP portfolio includes: New York Comic Con (NYCC), Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (C2E2), Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) East & West, Star Wars Celebration and UFC Fan Expo. The staff at ReedPOP is a fan based group of professionals producing shows for other fans, thus making them uniquely qualified to service those with whom they share a common passion. ReedPOP is focused on bringing its expertise and knowledge to world communities in North America, South America, Asia and Europe.
| The FSTA is pleased to congratulate the finalists for its 2011 Industry Awards:
Best Commissioner
- CBSSports.com
- ESPN
- MyFantasyLeague
- NFL.com
Most Innovative Fantasy Contest
- ESPN – Streak For the Cash
- RotoExperts – Upset Challenge
- PowerHouse Sports – iGM
- FantasyPros – FantasyPros Challenge
Most Innovative Fantasy Product or Service
- Ziguana.com
- LeagueSafe.com
- Pickemfirst
- FantasyPros
- CBSSports.com – Assistant GM
Most Outstanding Fantasy Contest
- STATS LLC – National Fantasy Football Championship
- CDMSports.com – Diamond Challenge
- Real Time Fantasy Sports – All-Pro Fantasy Football
- MyFantasyLeague.com – Sirius/XM Fantasy Football Challenge
- NFL.com – NFL.com Fantasy Football 2011
Best Mobile App
- NFL.com – NFL.com Fantasy Football
- CBSSports.com – Pro Football App
- Rotoworld.com/NBCSports – Rotoworld Fantasy News App
- RotoWire.com – RotoWire Fantasy Football Draft Kit
Best Live Event
- STATS LLC – National Fantasy Baseball Championship
- FanDuel – FanDuel Fantasy Football Championship
- Profanity Sports – Las Vegas Super Bowl Trip
Most Valuable Fantasy Content
- Rotoworld.com
- Rotowire.com
- ESPN.com
- RotoExperts.com
- MyFantasyLeague.com
- CBSSports.com
Most Valuable Fantasy Tool
- Advanced Sports Media – Draft Analyzer for Fantasy Football
- Ziguana.com
- FantasyPros.com
- Rotoworld.com – MLB Season Pass
- CBSSPorts.com – Who Do I Start?
- RotoExperts LLC – RotoExperts E-mail Advice
Rookie of the Year
- Ziguana.com
- PRMTime Fantasy Apps
- FaGames
- Allproleagues.com
Now it’s time to pick the winners!
The primary representative from each FSTA member organization should have received a personalized ballot with voting instructions on Jan. 4.
BALLOTS ARE DUE BY COB TUESDAY, JAN. 10.
If your organization did not receive a ballot (check your junk email folder!), then send an email to FSTA board member Emil Kadlec at emil@footballdiehards.com and he’ll resend the ballot.
Previous FSTA awards winners can be viewed here.
Winners of the FSTA Industry Awards will be announced at the FSTA Winter Conference sponsored by CBSSports.com on Jan. 16-17 at The Mirage Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. Check out more details and register for the conference here.
Questions about the FSTA Industry Awards or the FSTA Winter Conference sponsored by CBSSports.com? Contact us at news@fsta.org. |
| The FSTA is thrilled to announce that Jacksonville Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew will be joining the FSTA Winter Conference sponsored by CBSSports.com as a speaker on the “Power Tweeters” panel.
Jones-Drew is the host of “Runnin’ with MJD” on SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio and works with Bloomberg Sports and Football Diehards to promote their fantasy football tools. Jones-Drew, who has over 220,000 followers on Twitter, also provided a fantasy football column for SI online last year. He is a 3-time Pro Bowler and has amassed over 70 touchdowns and nearly 10,000 yards from scrimmage since his selection by the Jaguars out of UCLA in 2006.
“I’m delighted with Maurice Jones-Drew’s participation in our FSTA Winter Conference,” said FSTA president Paul Charchian. “As most of us in the industry are aware, Jones-Drew understands fantasy football. He plays fantasy football. He talks about it on his SiriusXM radio show, and he tweets about it prodigiously to his quarter-million followers. He gets it.”
Please note: Companies attend FSTA conferences to help build their businesses. And Jones-Drew joins our “Power Tweeters” panel and its moderator, Matthew Berry of ESPN, to talk about how he’s leveraging Twitter to help the off-the-field side of his career. Thus, Jones-Drew’s participation is not designed to be an autograph-signing session.
The FSTA Winter Conference sponsored by CBSSports.com will be held Jan. 16-17 at The Mirage in Las Vegas. Click here to register and get more details about the conference by checking out the fantastic agenda of speakers and panels here.
Reserve your room at The Mirage by clicking here. The special FSTA room rate of $139/night is available until Sunday, Jan. 1. If all rooms are booked when you attempt to make your reservation, we recommend you try Treasure Island, which is connected to The Mirage by tram.
Questions about the FSTA Winter Conference sponsored by CBSSports.com? Contact us at news@fsta.org. |
PowerHouse Sports Launches highly realistic iGM Game
Biggest innovation in fantasy football in a generation allows serious NFL fans to see how they would do as the General Manager of a real NFL team
White Plains, NY. December 1st, 2011 – Fantasy football, played by 24 million people in North America in 2010, is a billion dollar business. It’s a game where participants manage virtual teams made up of real-world players, and compete with their friends’ teams based on the statistical performance of the players in real life.
But, fantasy football is in no way a simulation of running a real pro football team, long the dream of many of the most passionate NFL fans. PowerHouse is changing that, by evolving fantasy football into a highly realistic simulation of being the General Manager of a real NFL team, 52 weeks a year.
People running virtual teams in iGM sign free agents in March, participate with the real-world NFL Draft in April, make roster cuts in September, and try to fill in for injured players during the season. iGM players compete with real NFL teams using PowerHouse’s unique scoring system that measures the entire 53-player roster, not just a handful of stats-producing stars, as in traditional fantasy football.
The key differences between traditional fantasy football and iGM:
- iGM players manage a complete virtual team, following the same rules that real NFL General Managers follow. Traditional fantasy football has a fictitious set of rules that have nothing to do with running a real team.
- iGM plays out in real time, keeping fans engaged 52 weeks a year. Traditional fantasy football is a seasonal game that starts over every year and has no activity during the NFL off-season.
- iGM includes all football positions, even offensive linemen. Traditional fantasy football only involves “skill position” players who produce statistics.
- iGM ties in to real world events to govern player movement and results in the game. Traditional fantasy football only ties in to the real world for statistical results.
- iGM offers the most enthusiastic and opinionated NFL fans the opportunity to demonstrate how they would do if they could be the General Manager of a real team. Traditional fantasy football is a fictional game that is heavily dependent on luck.
PowerHouse President and CEO Chris Barry originally invented the rules for iGM in 1995. He has been running a virtual team on an Excel spreadsheet, for no other reason than his own enjoyment, for 15 years, and says, “I finally felt that, after all this time enjoying this game myself, that the time was right to share it. The evolution of web technology, the explosive growth in interest in the NFL’s off-season, and the ability that small companies now have to stand up and get noticed from a marketing standpoint is a perfect storm for us.”
Contact information:
Website: www.PowerHouseGM.com
Anyone can sign up to run a team for free at:
http://content.powerhousegm.com/PowerHouse-iGM-game-1-of-4/
PowerHouse’s Press Room: http://content.powerhousegm.com/powerhouse-press-room/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/PowerHouseSports
Chris Barry’s LinkedIn profile: http://www.linkedin.com/in/barrycm
Chris Barry’s email: barrycm@PowerHouseGM.com Chris is available for interviews almost any time. Seriously, he’s obsessed.
A heads up that the deadline to submit nominations for the 2011 Fantasy Sports Trade Association Industry awards is this Friday, Dec. 16.
Read all about the rules and submit your nominations in our easy-to-use form by going to http://fsta.org/nomination.
This year, we’ve reorganized the awards into the following categories:
* Best League Commissioner Product
* Most Innovative Fantasy Contest
* Most Innovative Fantasy Product or Service
* Most Outstanding Fantasy Contest
* Most Outstanding Mobile Application
* Most Unique and Outstanding Live Event or Contest
* Most Valuable Fantasy Content
* Most Valuable Fantasy Tool
* Rookie of the Year
Only FSTA member organizations are eligible to win.
Winners will be announced at the FSTA Winter Conference sponsored by CBSSports.com on Jan. 16-17, 2012 in Las Vegas.
Join your colleagues at The Mirage Resort & Casino for this great networking opportunity and the chance to participate in discussions around the hottest issues facing the fantasy sports industry.
Check out more details and register for the conference here. And reserve your room at The Mirage by clicking here.
Questions about the FSTA Industry Awards or the FSTA Winter Conference sponsored by CBSSports.com? Contact us at news@fsta.org.
| Think your company did award-winning work in 2011? Want to give someone else a slap on the back for a job well done? Now is your chance.
Nominations are now being accepted for the 2011 Fantasy Sports Trade Association Industry Awards.
Read all about the rules and submit your nominations in our easy-to-use form by going to http://fsta.org/nomination.
This year, we’ve reorganized the awards into the following categories:
* Best League Commissioner Product
* Most Innovative Fantasy Contest
* Most Innovative Fantasy Product or Service
* Most Outstanding Fantasy Contest
* Most Outstanding Mobile Application
* Most Unique and Outstanding Live Event or Contest
* Most Valuable Fantasy Content
* Most Valuable Fantasy Tool
* Rookie of the Year
The nomination deadline is Dec. 16 and only FSTA member organizations are eligible.
Winners will be announced at the FSTA Winter Conference sponsored by CBSSports.com on Jan. 16-17, 2012 in Las Vegas.
Join your colleagues at The Mirage Resort & Casino for this great networking opportunity and the chance to participate in discussions around the hottest issues facing the fantasy sports industry.
Check out more details and register for the conference here. And reserve your room at The Mirage by clicking here.
Questions about the FSTA Industry Awards or the FSTA Winter Conference sponsored by CBSSports.com? Contact us at news@fsta.org. |
StatSheet Launches STAT.US Twitter Sports Network
(DURHAM, N.C., November 30, 2011) – Just in time for the fantasy football playoffs and the start of the college basketball season, StatSheet (http://statsheet.com) today announced the launch of STAT.US (http://stat.us), the world’s largest sports-focused Twitter network. STAT.USutilizes StatSheet’s unique artificial intelligence technology and proprietary database of over 2 billion statistics to bring live, in-game updates to fans on their favorite players and teams. STAT.US has both team and player-specific Twitter accounts covering the NFL, MLB, NBA and NCAA college football and basketball. STAT.US Twitter accounts already have over 250,000 followers who are updated with live game scores and important plays as well as pre- and post-game analysis.
As part of STAT.US, StatSheet has also launched the first ever Twitter “Fantasy Tracker” where fantasy football managers can quickly follow the individual players on their team and keep tabs on their fantasy roster’s performance on game day via Twitter. STAT.US users receive live play-by-play, scores and statistical updates for the individual players and teams that they track within their existing Twitter feed.
“At StatSheet we are all about using technology to create the best possible experience for fans,” says Robbie Allen, StatSheet’s CEO and Founder. “STAT.US fits in perfectly with our existing network of over 400 team web sites and Android and iPhone applications and helps us take the next step in improving the in-game experience for our users.”
Key Features of the STAT.US Network:
- Team Accounts: followers of team accounts will get updates on scores, turnovers, key plays and win probability, as well links to StatSheet’s ongoing analysis and interesting statistical insights on their team both past and present. STAT.US has active accounts for every NFL, NBA, MLB, and DI NCAA Football and Basketball team. Some examples: @cheeseheadhaven (Green Bay Packers), @Celts_Pride (Boston Celtics), @Cards_Update (St. Louis Cardinals), @CarolinaUpdBB (UNC Basketball), and @Fightin_TigerFB (LSU Football).
- Individual Player Accounts: followers of individual player accounts will find a smorgasbord of information at their fingertips. For NFL players, they will get updates on every rush, every pass completion and every score, as well as end of quarter summary stat line updates for anxious fantasy owners. STAT.US currently has NFL player accounts for every significant offensive player and will be adding more player accounts for additional sports soon. Example accounts include @ARodgersStats (Aaron Rodgers) and @CJohnsonStats (Calvin Johnson).
- #Hashtag Lists: users can also follow specific hashtags such as #TDTracker for the NFL to monitor touchdowns, #HRTracker for MLB to monitor home runs, and #UpsetTracker and #OTTracker for all sports to keep tabs on potential upsets and over-time games.
- Fantasy Tracker: STAT.US gives users a quick interface to create and follow a Twitter list of individual player accounts so they can quickly track every play, score and update on their fantasy rosters.
The statistics for STAT.US are provided by StatSheet’s official stats provider, The Sports Network (TSN). TSN’s robust and flexible sports wire service enables StatSheet and its technology platform to quickly develop and deploy innovative, world-class products to sports fans.
About StatSheet
StatSheet is a subsidiary of Automated Insights, Inc. and represents the next revolution in content creation. StatSheet’s technology automatically transforms raw data into compelling narrative content (articles, summaries, headlines), visual displays (charts, tables, graphs) and interactive applications (mobile and Twitter/Facebook–based social applications). In essence, the company uses technology to humanize big data, and automate knowledge and insight at scale. StatSheet converts a rapidly growing data set of over 2 billion statistics into comprehensive and compelling coverage of NCAA college basketball, Major League Baseball and the National Football League. The company currently publishes over 15,000 articles per month through its network of more than 400 team-centric websites, Android, iPhone and iPad mobile applications and Twitter and Facebook accounts. Later this year Automated Insights will launch its NCAA college football coverage. To learn more, visit www.automatedinsights.com and www.statsheet.com.
| The Fantasy Sports Trade Association is proud to announce CBSSports.com as the title sponsor of the FSTA Winter Conference.
The FSTA Winter Conference sponsored by CBSSports.com will be held Jan. 16-18 at The Mirage Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.
Click here to register and get more details about the conference. You can also review the conference agenda, including information about our annual Awards Banquet and Dinner, here.
Register by Dec. 1 to receive a significant Early Bird Discount on your registration. It’s $449 for FSTA members, $599 for non-FSTA members until Dec. 1 — this is a firm date — when fees will increase to $599 and $749, respectively. So, book today!
Reserve your room at The Mirage by clicking here. The special FSTA room rate of $139/night is available until Jan. 1. If you prefer to make your room reservation by phone, call 1-800-499-6311 and use the block code FSTMB in order to get the conference rate.
At the time you register for the conference, you can opt-in for the annual FSTA Experts League Fantasy Baseball Draft that will begin at 5 p.m. PT on Jan. 16. The draft will be carried live on SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio. If you’re not drafting, you can still watch and also meet and greet your colleagues at our pre-conference networking reception. Cocktails and hors d’oeuvres will be served.
Also returning for the conference is the Elevator Pitch! Do you have a new business or idea that will revolutionize the fantasy sports industry? This is your chance to get your idea out to a room full of decision makers! A couple of spaces remain. Contact FSTA Association Director Megan Van Petten at megan@fsta.org or 312-771-7019 for more details.
Sponsorship opportunities are still available. Check out the different packages here or contact Megan for more information.
Questions about the FSTA Winter Conference sponsored by CBSSports.com? Contact us at news@fsta.org. |
| Thanksgiving is just a week away and, before you know it, the Early Bird Discount deadline for the FSTA Winter Business Conference – Jan. 16-18 at The Mirage Resort & Casino in Las Vegas — will be here, too.
Don’t let signing up for the conference get lost in the holiday shuffle.
Take care of things now by clicking here to register. You can also review the working conference agenda, including information about our annual Awards Banquet and Dinner, here.
Register by Dec. 1 to receive a significant Early Bird Discount on your registration. It’s $449 for FSTA members, $599 for non-FSTA members until Dec. 1 — this is a firm date — when fees will increase to $599 and $749, respectively. So, book today!
Reserve your room at The Mirage by clicking here. The special FSTA Winter Conference room rate of $139/night is available until Jan. 1. If you prefer to make your room reservation by phone, call 1-800-499-6311 and use the block code FSTMB in order to get the conference rate.
At the time you register for the Winter Conference, you’ll also have the opportunity to opt-in for the annual FSTA Experts League Fantasy Baseball Draft that will begin at 5 p.m. PT on Jan. 16. The draft will be carried live on SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio. If you’re not drafting, you can still watch and also meet and greet your colleagues at our pre-conference networking reception. Cocktails and hors d’oeuvres will be served.
Also returning for our 2012 Winter Conference is the Elevator Pitch! Do you have a new business or idea that will revolutionize the fantasy sports industry? This is your chance to get your idea out to a room full of decision makers! A limited number of spaces remain. Contact FSTA Association Director Megan Van Petten at megan@fsta.org or 312-771-7019 for more details.
There is no better way to set yourself up in the fantasy sports industry than to become an official sponsor of the 2012 FSTA Winter Business Conference. Check out our remaining sponsorship opportunities or contact Megan for more information.
Questions? Contact us at news@fsta.org. |
Tessa Wegert from Clickz has posted an interesting piece about how fantasy sports are a great resource for sports marketers and advertisers who are looking to tap into the market.
Read the article in its entirety here:
Clickz.com
MediaPost author Cory Treffiletti has put together a fantastic look at the development and marketing implications of the fantasy sports industry, observing that “fantasy football is indicative of the future of online marketing.”
Read the article in its entirety here.
An article on Entrepreneur.com detailing Mike Levy and FSTA member OPENSports.com talks about the positive aspects of investing in the fantasy sports industry in 2009. Author Karen Spaeder calls the fantasy sports industry one of the best startup markets this year.
“Once you’ve found your niche, it’s critical to find ways to make your sports fan customers happy. Levy says of his OPENSports.com users, “These users are a dedicated bunch.” And you don’t even need to set out beer nuts to do it.”
Read the entire article here
Fantasy Consumer Behavior Analyzed
New Fantasy Golf Game Steps Up To Tee
Fantasy Control Launches New Tools Suite for 2007 NFL Season
HumWare Media Corp’s Wholly Owned Subsidiary Timeless Sports Inc. to Launch National Franchise Operations
Draft Dynamix Adds Partnerships with ESPN, Fantasy Sports Ventures, ProTrade and RealTime Fantasy Sports
Sports Enthusiast Media, LLC (“SEM”) announces the acquisition of Fantasy Football Champs
New Website Offers Online Fantasy Baseball Tools
Fantasy Sports Co. Expands with Startegic Acquisition
Timeless Sports Inc. to donate 100% profits of Darrent Williams Memorial Tribute Bracelet to charity
Sports Enthusiast Media (SEM) Acquires StatFox and Head2Head Sports
iGaming completes purchase of Rotoplay assets
FSDashboard and Players Inc Combine for Massive Fantasy Football Portal
