Sports and social media are a perfect match. Fantasy sports began as a niche hobby but have grown remarkably with the internet. It fosters fan culture and allows immediate and accessible participation. Fantasy sports involve drafting players and tracking their real-world performances to earn points. Over 25 million Americans participate, driving billions in economic impact. Participation increases general media consumption. A current study examines trait differences and motivations for participating, and how these predict involvement levels. Preliminary results show participants higher in competitiveness and sensation-seeking.
3. Sports and Social Media: A Perfect Match
Immediate
Accessible
Fosters Fan Culture
4. Fantasy Sports
Began as a relatively unknown niche hobby in the
early 1980s
Enter the Internet: it has seen remarkable growth
since the mid-1990s
5. Some Basic Rules
All leagues are composed of multiple teams, with each
team managed by a player
Each league has a commissioner, or one manager who
oversees all activity that occurs within the league
The season begins with a draft, either live or automatic
Points are assigned to drafted players in accordance
with performances during actual games
The cumulative points determine the winning managers
of the fantasy game, who compete head to head
against one another
League winners are determined at the end of the
season based on the best winning record or point total
6. Some Basic Stats (FSTA, 2009)
27 million users in the U.S., or 6% of the population
22% of American males, 18-49 with internet access,
participate in the activity
Economic Impact: $800 million within and $3 billion
across the sports industry
7. User Interfaces
Various websites host free fantasy leagues online
Other websites host fantasy leagues for a fee, often
offering additional features and programs
Many offer features such as message boards and
access to player information and statistics
8. Media Impact
Fantasy involves more than just participation online
Outcomes of fantasy games rely on results of live
sporting events that take place in the physical world
Users can access
these results through
a variety of media
platforms
9. Media Impact cont.
From the recommended readings:
We continuously engage in social media
We use various media platforms simultaneously
Fantasy sports are a form of social networking
Does it pose a risk for addiction?
10. Media Impact cont.
Dwyer (2010) and Comeau (2009) found increased
general media consumption as a result of
participation in fantasy football
58% of fantasy users reported watching more
sports on television since they started participating
in fantasy sports (FSTA, 2009)
11. What’s Behind It All?
The social and economical impact of fantasy sports
has been well-documented in the mainstream media
BUT… the motivations for participation in this
activity and the level at which individuals
participate is largely unknown
Uncovering these motivations may reveal what kind
of people participate in this activity
These results could hold implications for professional
sports leagues, media networks, advertisers, and
consumers
12. Current Project: Trait Differences in
Fantasy Football Participation
Research Questions
For what meaningful purposes do fantasy football
participants depend on the activity?
In what ways do fantasy football participants identify
and interact within social groups created by the
activity?
What are the relationships between the individual traits
of fantasy sports participants and their motivations for
participation in the activity?
13. Individual Traits and Motivations
Traits
Extraversion
Competitiveness
Machiavellianism
Sensation-Seeking
Impulsiveness
Motivations
Social
Competitive
Identification
Financial Gain
14. End Goal?
To predict the level of participation in the activity
based on the interaction between an individual’s
personality traits and motivations for use
15. Method
Conducted a survey of 457 subjects, 177 of whom have
participated in fantasy football
Included IUB Telecom students and members of a
variety of popular fantasy football forums
Questions pertained to their opinions, habits, and level
of participation in fantasy football
General media use, social activities, and past sports
participation were also addressed
Questions were posed related to their fantasy activities
and motivations for participating
A series of personality scales were implemented to
measure trait differences
16. Preliminary Data Analysis
Fantasy football participants rank higher in
competitiveness, Machiavellianism, sensation-
seeking, and impulsiveness, as compared to non-
fantasy football participants
Fantasy football participants rank lower in
extraversion than non-fantasy football participants
Do fantasy football players view the activity as an
alternative to face-to-face social interaction?
17. In Conclusion…
Just where exactly are fantasy sports headed?
http://FunnyOrDie.com/m/bfj
18. Links to Recommended Readings
Social media survey finds use in bed, on waking
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/
2010/03/18/BURK1CHVVA.DTL#ixzz1ObMoYTdv
Americans Using TV and Internet Together 35% More Than
A Year Ago
http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/online_mobile/three-
screen-report-q409/
Fantasy Sports: Social Networking or Time Wasting
http://returnonnow.com/2010/02/fantasy-sports-social-
networking-time-wasting/
Fantasy Sports: Another Internet Addiction?
http://www.addictioninfo.org/articles/1259/1/Fantasy-
sports-another-internet-addiction/Page1.html
