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.

1. SPORTS AND
SOCIAL MEDIA
Nicky Lewis T101 Media Life / Summer 2011

2. A Quick Introduction…

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