Fantasy sports has grown exponentially from its early origins in the 1960s to a $15 billion industry today. Over 41 million people in North America play fantasy sports, with the majority spending over $100 per year on league fees and other costs. Fantasy sports players are highly engaged sports fans who spend significantly more time following and consuming sports media than average fans. The growth of daily fantasy sports sites that offer real money prizes has further increased consumer engagement with sports. Fantasy sports has changed the sports viewing experience and given fans and brands new ways to interact around sports.

1. A look at how fantasy sports has changed
the way consumers engage and interact with
sports, and how it has become a high-stakes
opportunity for both fans and brands.
1
MAY 2015

2. 1. THE ADVENT OF
FANTASY SPORTS
The formation and evolution of America’s newest
favorite pastime
2. HISTORY OF BRAND
INVOLVEMENT
How and why early-adopting brands joined the fantasy
sports movement to shape its future
3. TODAY’S CONSUMER
MARKETPLACE
The power of fantasy sports to move brands and
products forward
4. CHANGING THE GAME How fantasy sports has impacted general consumer
engagement and consumption of sports and live
sporting events
5. TRENDS Insights and trends for 2015
6. KEY TAKEWAYS Opportunities and takeaways for brands
2

3. THE ADVENT
OF FANTASY
SPORTS
Fantasy Sports has been around for over half a century,
with the earliest of iterations credited to former MLB
player Ethan Allen who created the classic board game,
All Star-Baseball in 1941. Featuring a spinner and cards
using real MLB players and their batting averages, this
was a precursor to Strat-O-Matic developed by Bucknell
University mathematics student Hal Richman in his
parents’ Glen Head, NY basement.
The digital age of fantasy sports started in 1960 when
mid-level IBM programmer John Burgeson coded a game
that could only be used on a $120,000 computer.
Burgeson’s version of fantasy baseball put users in
control of a fake team made up of real players that
produced computer-generated outcomes based on the
players quantitative strengths and weaknesses.
In 1963, Wilfred “Bill the Gill” Winkenbach, a limited
partner in the Oakland Raiders, took this idea a step
further on the west coast and developed a Fantasy
Football system and rulebook with Raiders publicist Bill
Tunnel and journalist Scotty Stirling. The enthusiasm
behind their inaugural league of the GOPPPL (Greater
Oakland Professional Pigskin Prognosticators League)
spread throughout California sports bars where groups of
friends formed their own leagues.
In 1980, Fantasy Baseball got a boost when the statistical
concept behind Strat-O-Matic was adapted to use MLB
player stats during the on-going season. Magazine writer
Daniel Okrent created the scoring system and was joined
by friends in New York City restaurant La Rotisserie
Francaise to play the first game over a lunch. Aptly
coined the Rotisserie League, their league was the
inspiration for other “Rotisserie” scoring Fantasy Baseball
leagues including the oldest continuously operating
league since 1981, The Roach Motel League at Columbia
University.
The popularity of Fantasy Baseball and Football
continued to slowly grow; but with the advent of the
Internet in the mid 1990’s came the rapid ascension of
Fantasy Sports.
3

4. HISTORY OF
BRAND
INVOLVEMENT
1995
Canada’s Molson Breweries created
a National Hockey League
sanctioned Fantasy Hockey League
as part of its Molson ‘I Am’ Online
website.
1997
Commissioner.com launched a
Fantasy Baseball platform, providing
players with a suite of tools to
manage their league and team,
setting the tone for online fantasy
sports. It was sold for $31 million in
1999 to SportsLine.com and by
2003, Commissioner.com drove $11
million in fantasy revenue for
SportsLine before it was purchased
by CBS to become the fantasy sports
engine behind CBSSports.com.
2008
One of the first daily fantasy sports
sites, SnapDraft, was launched by
NBC as a spin-off from Instant
Fantasy Sports.
1996
ESPN SportsZone, which later became ESPN.com, created
three tent pole games for Pizza Hut: Baseball Challenge,
Pigskin Pick’em, and the NCAA Tournament Challenge.
Across all three games, over 327,000 players participated
and registered with their email addresses. An email was sent
to all of those players with a link to a Pizza Hut coupon page,
and 79,000 (24%) clicked to get to the coupon.
1999
The Fantasy Sports Trade Association was founded by
industry powerhouses and emerging game developers as
fantasy sports participation began to reach a critical mass.
2002
Featuring active football players, the NFL promoted
NFL.com Fantasy Football in TV commercials showcasing
player support.
FROMA HOBBY
TO BIG BUSINESS
SOME OFTHE FIRST
DIGITALVERSIONS
OF FANTASY SPORTS
WERE BRANDED.
4

5. YEAR ESTIMATED NUMBER OF PLAYERS
1988 500,000
1992-1994 1–3 million
2003 15.2 million
2004 13.5 million
2005 12.6 million
2006 18 million
2007 19.4 million
2008 29.9 million
2009 28.4 million
2010 32 million
2011 35.9 million
2014 41.5 million
Each year, the fantasy-playing population continues to grow exponentially, with over 36 million players in the
US (14% of the population) and 5 million in Canada (12% of population) in 2014.
FANTASY SPORTS PLAYER PROFILE
80% MALE
90% CAUCASIAN
52% NOT MARRIED
AVERAGE AGE
YEARS IN FANTASYFOOTBALL
HOURS CONSUMING SPORTS PER WEEK
HOURS CONSUMING FANTASY SPORTS
FOOTBALL (FAVORITE FANTASY SPORT)
78% COLLEGE DEGREE OR MORE
34
9.51
17.89
8.67
69.4%
OVER 41M PEOPLE PLAYED FANTASY SPORTS
ACROSS NORTH AMERICA IN 2014
5
TODAY’S
CONSUMER
MARKETPLACE

6. of today’s players say they plan to participate in fantasy sports for the next decade
say they will continue to play for life.
80%
40%
Fantasy sports has become a $15 billion industry.
Compare that to the real sport of “Pro Football”
where the NFL is a $10 billion industry.
Consumer spending keeps adding up
While there is an abundant amount of free fantasy
sports games, over 46% of fantasy players pay an
entry fee to compete - spending an average of $111
per year across league fees, transaction fees,
hosting fees, and prizing fees.
Paying to play
Fall has traditionally been the busiest time of the fantasy sports year with over three-quarters of all fantasy
players competing in NFL-related games; however, Baseball holds a distant second, seeing a third of fantasy
players. Recently, fantasy racing has overtaken NBA, which has seen a dip in participation in the past year.
HALF OF FANTASY PLAYERS COMPETE INTWOTO EIGHT DIFFERENT SPORTS
77% NFL FOOTBALL
33% MLB BASEBALL
21% NASCAR RACING
20% NBA BASKETBALL
20% COLLEGE FOOTBALL
18% NHL HOCKEY
15% PGA GOLF
12% SOCCER
PASSIONATE & LOYAL AUDIENCE
THE FINANCIAL COMMITMENTTHAT
CONSUMERS MAKE IN FANTASY
SPORTS IS MORETHAN SUBSTANTIAL –
IT’S MONUMENTAL.
Source: Fantasy Sports Trade Association
TODAY’S
CONSUMER
MARKETPLACE
6
TODAY’S
CONSUMER
MARKETPLACE

7. Heavy players pay 33% more attention to Fantasy Football content
than non-players, and 44% more than light players of Fantasy Football.
Trash talking is a common feature of Fantasy Football playing, but heavy
players are far more interested in research strategy. They commit more
than 50% more attention and resources when consuming research
strategy content than to content with trash talking. Furthermore, they
encode 41% more of this content to memory.
KEY
FINDINGS:
Sports aren’t the only thing occupying fantasy players’ time or wallets as they spend time online shopping and
are more likely than the average U.S. internet user to have shopped online for a number items.
FANTASY PLAYERS ARE SPENDING ON MORE
THAN JUST FANTASY LEAGUES
SHOPPED ONLINE IN LAST 30 DAYS INDEX VS. ONLINE 18+
Beer 149
Cell Phone/Service 157
Clothes/Shoes/Accessories 118
New Credit Card 167
Event Tickets 158
Fitness and Diet Products 139
Home Electronics 160
Insurance 166
Movie Tickets 184
Deodorant 155
Read as: Adult fantasy sports players online are 57% more likely than average U.S. adult online to have shopped
online for cell phones/service
Source: Nielsen
Whether it’s because of the financial investment, the camaraderie or the adrenaline rush, fantasy players
commit more time and attention to fantasy sports than they do real sports.
An MEC-commissioned study found that the Fantasy Football fanatic commits more than 17% more
attention to and connects 8% more deeply with Fantasy Football than Football itself, offering marketers and
brands an opportunity to connect with these hard-to-reach consumers. The findings revealed that space
tangential to fantasy sports game content cannot only provide an efficient and cost-effective way to connect,
but it can connect even more deeply with them.
FANTASY SPORTS IS A PRIME PLACE
TO FIND ENGAGED CONSUMERS
TODAY’S CONSUMER
MARKETPLACE
TODAY’S
CONSUMER
MARKETPLACE
7
TODAY’S
CONSUMER
MARKETPLACE

8. Fantasy players are more engaged with mainstream media than regular sports fans, demonstrating their
interest, attention span and proclivity to spend money in this space.
GROWING INTEREST IN FANTASY SPORTS
IS CHANGINGTHE MEDIA LANDSCAPE
Consumers aren’t just sticking to the site that hosts their fantasy league, they are very active on multiple sites
to ensure they have the most updated and relevant information.
PLAYERSVORACIOUS APPETITE FOR NEWS
Number of sports news websites that fantasy sports players use to obtain relevant data:
NUMBER OF SITES TOTAL
Six 30%
Four to Five 44%
Two to Three 16%
One 7%
None 3%
The Yahoo! Sport’s Fantasy Football App ranks #5 in the
top sports apps by total minutes.
FANTASY SPORTS APP USAGE IS UP
THERE WITH STREAMINGAPPS
1
2
3
4
5
ESPN SPORTSCENTER
MLB AT BAT
TEAM STREAM
NFL MOBILE
YAHOO! FANTASY FOOTBALL
CHANGING
THE GAME
CHANGING
THE GAME
8

9. GOING MOBILE
Among those that use a mobile device, fantasy sports players have used a mobile device or app to:
ACTIVITY TOTAL
Access cheat sheets and rankings to help with
drafts and auctions
13%
Access real-time fantasy games or player stats 67%
Get player news, information or injury reports 54%
Get scores of actual games (MLB, NHL, NBA, etc.) 69%
Change their fantasy team lineup, make trades, or
conduct transactions
44%
Sports media companies have evolved their sports coverage by strategically programming networks,
magazines, digital platforms and events with specialized fantasy sports content.
Highlight shows feature fantasy stats, top fantasy picks and debate on who the fantasy “sleepers” are. ESPN
has even created entire segments on existing studio shows to translating player performances and how they’d
stack up in fantasy. There has also been a rise in major sports publishers with dedicated fantasy editorial staff;
from Yahoo! Sport’s Brandon Funston to ESPN’s Matthew Berry, these people have been making good money
dissecting and reporting the world of fantasy sports.
INTEGRATING FANTASYACROSS MEDIA
There is a ‘Hall of Fame’ for both the Fantasy SportsTrade
Association and the Fantasy Sports Writers AssociationFUN
FACT:
CHANGING
THE GAME
CHANGING
THE GAME
9

10. DEVELOPING NEW CONCEPTS
A dedicated fantasy sports network recently
launched in Canada…
While football and baseball have been the pioneering sports, the fans’ appetites and game operators’ risk-
taking has led to fantasy competitions created for:
Australian Rules Football
Auto Racing
Basketball
Boxing
Cricket
eSports (Video Games)
Golf
ADDING NEW SPORTSTOTHE MIX
CREATING EVENT EXPERIENCES
Draft days are brought to life for fantasy
sports just like the real pro league drafts …
… with pre-season media days built specifically to
bring top fantasy performers to meet the public.
Hockey
Mixed Martial Arts
Professional Wrestling
Rugby
Soccer
Surfing
CHANGING
THE GAME
Leonard Asper, CEO of FNTSY Sports Network Cast of The League
….while a fictional show about a fantasy football league
prepares for its 7th & final season on FX Network.
10

11. UNIQUE AUDIENCE ‘14 UNIQUE AUDIENCE ‘14 YOY GROWTH
INTERNET 877,000 5,129,000 +485%
MOBILE 319,000 3,022,000 +847%
THE NEWEST ADDITIONTOTHE MIX: DAILY FANTASY SPORTS
Even as traditional fantasy leagues on ESPN, Yahoo!, CBS Sports and others keep growing, daily fantasy
sports leagues have become incredibly popular as fans can play with and potentially win real money. The
year-over-year growth is exponential, especially as the leagues have been collaborative to a degree in
promoting the games.
DAILY FANTASY FOOTBALL
ALTERINGTHE LIVE-SPORTSVIEWING EXPERIENCE
As the professional sports leagues have been dedicating substantial resources including prominent
promotion and real estate on their media properties for their traditional fantasy game formats, the NHL
and NBA have taken equity positions in DraftKings and FanDuel, respectively. Add the investment of
Comcast/NBC Sports in FanDuel and a pending ESPN stake in DraftKings, and fans will find that fantasy
sports is changing the live-sports experience.
"Even if your team isn't playing well (meaning the Giants as an example of your teams) you're still following
your fantasy league or you're following the Red Zone or your mobile device," NFL Commissioner Roger
Goodell said. "So it has created more interest for a longer period of time."
FanDuel has stated that fans consume 40% more sports content across all media once they start playing
FanDuel.
With fantasy sports becoming a bigger part of the game, sports fans will be watching more games and
consuming more content than just about their favorite teams or players.
24% of fantasy players would cancel or not subscribe to premium TV if they were not playing fantasy sports
38% of fantasy players who pay to play in fantasy leagues would cancel or not subscribe to Premium TV if they
were not playing fantasy sports
DEDICATED MEDIA CONSUMPTION
CHANGING
THE GAME
11

12. The demographics are
shifting, and the channels
growing, as the
composition of fantasy
players becomes less
homogenized, making
fantasy sports an even
more interesting playing
field for marketers. WOMEN WILL CONTRIBUTE TO THE GROWTH OF
FANTASY SPORTS
As fantasy sports continues to mainstream, women participation
continues to grow. Today women account for nearly 20% of the
fantasy sports market, however research indicates 40% of women
have an interest in fantasy sports. Fantasy isn’t just a man’s game
anymore which will open up opportunities for brands to reach a
more unisex audience.
TEENAGERS ARE GROWING UP
WITH FANTASY SPORTS
Teens are the fastest growing group of fantasy
sports participants, and there is a good chance
their interest in sports in general has been
aided (or jaded) by the advent of fantasy sport
sites. In a world were analyzing the worth of a
player is the norm, those with gamer
personalities continue to seek out content they
can access via mobile and share across their
networks.
SOCIAL MEDIA MULTIPLIES THE OPPORTUNITIES
Game operators are successfully experimenting with social media to
build more immersive fantasy experiences, as consumers seek out
opportunities to trade players and crowdsourcing tips via their social
networks. The openness of these networks is allowing anyone to be
a fantasy expert via the simplicity of setting up a Twitter account. To
control their own destinies, fantasy game operators will push even
further into integrating social media promotion, sign-ups, score-
tracking, updates and other gamification into the mix.
MOBILE SHOOTS AND SCORES
Last year, 73% of men used a tablet or
smartphone to access fantasy football
related media, with 29% stating it as the
primary medium for this information. The
numbers will continue to grow as more game
operators design for mobile-first - enabling
fantasy players to make all of their moves in
the palms of their hand. We will continue to
see new games launch as apps while existing
games will quickly optimize their mobile
experience.
PROFESSIONAL SPORTS ARE ALL-IN
The leagues are recognizing and embracing the value of fantasy
sports as part of the overall sports experience. With the NHL and
NBA taking equity positions, the MLB has developed an official
partnership with DraftKings and the NFL is still mapping out plans
for larger involvement. This buy-in from professional sports leaders
will lead the way to a proliferation of more content, new games,
legal money-play and overall participation growth.
DAILY LEAGUES & HIGH STAKES GAMES WILL KEEP
GROWING
The newest craze and fastest growing game format of daily games
will get even larger this year, building off last year’s 847% growth.
With the increase in marketing activity to lure new users, FanDuel
and DraftKings will both see upticks while other start-up daily sites
will make smaller dents in the market.
High stakes games are the ultimate fantasy competitions which
pit the most ardent fantasy players against one another after they
pony up entry fees ranging from $100 to $20,000. High stakes
games don’t just offer sizeable monetary prizes; they also create
experiences ranging from meet & greets to destination events for
on location drafts.
.
6 KEYTRENDS
IN FANTASY
SPORTS
12

13. INTEGRATE ACROSS CHANNELS
As the research shows, fantasy sports is being more integrated into mainstream media while at the
same time the marketplace is becoming increasingly more mobile. As media companies continue to
dedicate content across channels to fantasy, there’s a greater opportunity for brands to develop a
multi-channel fantasy platform.
Example: AT&T partnered with ESPN to create a dual language Fantasy World Cup Soccer program
that played out across ESPN.com, ESPNDeportes.com and ESPN Deportes TV & Radio.
BRANDTHE FANTASY EXPERIENCE
If there is an opportunity to leverage existing content or gamify something that adds value to the
fan experience, brands can become part of the game. Sponsoring content within fantasy games will
always be a staple as that is where the eyeballs will continue to go, but brands can also work with
partners to create their own games.
Example: Scotts took their baseball-themed anthem of Go Yard to create a Home Run Challenge on
MLB.com.
CONNECT CONSUMERSWITH EXCLUSIVE EXPERIENCES
Just as the term fantasy implies, the concept here is that fantasy sports allows consumers to
manage their “dream team” – something they can’t do in reality. If a brand wants to make those
dreams come true in an even bigger way, there are great opportunities to give consumers
something aspirational or potentially unattainable.
Brands empower fans with access to exclusive content, unique prize packages, and the chance to
play fantasy with celebrities and former pro athletes.
REACH PEOPLE INTHE WORKPLACE
It is estimated that fantasy sports participants spend an average of 10 minutes per day, or almost an
hour per week, making moves for their fantasy teams. During the 17-week NFL season, 60% of
participants spend more than an hour a day thinking about their fantasy teams.
Brands have always looked to the traditional news and business media outlets to reach people in
the workplace while also innovating their reach through social media and sites like BuzzFeed, but
one of the best ways to reach an at-work male audience may be via fantasy sports.
While this may not bode well for office productivity, it surely calls out that brands could be
successfully reaching fantasy sports participants from 9-5pm.
13
OPPORTUNITIES
FOR BRANDS

14. SPORTS MEDIA IS
INNOVATING TO
CAPITALIZE ON
FANTASY SPORTS
Whether it’s dedicated content within existing
programming, brand new concepts for TV, digital, print and
radio, or fantasy expert talent, both established and
emerging sports media channels are laser-focused on the
impact that fantasy is having on their businesses. Fantasy
sports is changing the way consumers follow sports – there
is no such thing as traditional coverage anymore.
FANTASY SPORTS
PARTICIPANTS ARE
DEDICATED
CONSUMERS
Brands looking to reach an audience proven to be loyal
should look no further than the fantasy sports marketplace.
With the amount of time spent on fantasy sports across
multiple information sources, via social media and on
mobile, fantasy participants continue to come back for
more.
WITH NEW CONCEPTS
ALWAYS DEVELOPING,
THIS IS A WHITE SPACE
FOR BRANDS
From becoming part of the content experience to
developing bespoke programs, we are still at the early
adopter stage for brands to play in the fantasy sports space.
By tapping into the creative gaming developer’s mind, those
that know how to connect with fantasy sports participants,
brands can successfully engage with sports fans in ways that
have never been done before.
FANTASY SPORTS WILL
NOT STOP GROWING
It’s difficult to find an industry or marketplace with the
exponential growth that fantasy sports has seen. With the
buy-in of professional leagues, the allure of daily fantasy
games and a never-ending appetite of fans to become part
of the sports experience, fantasy sports will continue to be a
growing market and an undying passion point to reach
consumers.
14
For additional information, please contact:
Jason Blake, Jason.Blake@groupm.com or
Whitney Fishman Zember, Whitney.Fishman@mecglobal.com