"Fantasy Sports Leagues and Mass Media Use"
By: Quint Randle and Rob Nyland
There has been a huge increase in the number of fantasy sports participants and the ability to connect to the league wherever they go. According to studies it is attractive most to the audience eighteen-thirty-four year old men. Some fifteen to eighteen million Americans participate in fantasy sports bringing in an average $1.5 Billion in advertising and subscription fees. It has turned from a "Hobby to big business."
If media outlets can develop good relationships with fantasy sports fans they have the potential to gain a devoted segment of the media viewing market.
The purpose of the study was to find out if participation in fantasy sports is related to an increase in sports media, mainly T.V. but other mediums as well.
Literature Review: Participation and viewing varies between males and females. There are eight common motives for sports participation and viewing: Eustress, self-esteem, escape, entertainment, economic, aesthetic, group affiliation and family. Males are more motivated by eustress and entertainment than females. Males make up largest demographic of sports viewing and participation. Not a big difference in percentage of males and females liking sports but the difference comes in how they demonstrate their interest. Men spend more time watching sports on T.V., have a greater knowledge of sports, different motivations for watching and significantly greater interest in sports than women. Females motivation is different. For women, being a sports fan means attending, watching and cheering at sporting events. For males, it means playing sports and acquiring sports information.
Background of Fantasy Sports Leagues: The first fantasy players had to crunch their own numbers and statistics and now the computer does all of that. Fantasy football is most popular with eighty-five percent of the participants. Users can win money but more dramatically owners can lure in advertisers changing up to seven-figures for advertising space on their sites.
Role Playing Theory: Useful in examining the relationship between fantasy sports league participants and consumption of sports news and information. Different meanings for the word but studies have looked at it as an essential part of creating an online experience. The online experience should take the user out of their everyday role, and involving them as if they were producing the media text. The greater the role-taking the greater involvement and positive experiences within those environment.
Five hypothesis were created all having to do with sports, fantasy sports and the consumption of sports media.
Methods: Two principle variables, (1) Independent variable which was the participation in fantasy sports leagues and (2) Dependent variable which was the amount of time spent viewing sports on T.V. The majority of respondents were males and over eighty percent were single, eighteen percent were married. Most were dedicated sports fans.
Findings: Out of the five hypothesis created, four of them were supported with the data and only one was not.
Discussion: Results indicate that participation of fantasy sports is related to media use across the board: watching sports news, listening to sports radio, reading sports articles and watching sporting events on T.V. and in person. Participants often visit their fantasy league site which means that playing host to fantasy sports leagues would be beneficial to an organizations website because it will bring an increase in traffic and loyalty to the brand. It would be another means to self promotion. There was no significance in actual participation in team sports and participation in fantasy sports. Any media-or content-based website can attract and build ongoing relationships with heavy media users by creating and hosting fantasy leagues.
Mark Valeriano
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