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.

• 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.

  • MORE: Big Lead Sports FAQ

  “(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

  ****************************

  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 1^st, 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