Meeting the Informational Needs of the Fantasy Sport User

Abstract

Fantasy sport is an online sport activity utilizing sport communication outlets in multiple ways. With nearly 35 million fantasy sport participants, many sport media companies such as ESPN, CBS Sports, and Yahoo! Sports have strengthened their online presence by creating and hosting fantasy sport Web sites. Fantasy sport is developed, controlled, and consumed primarily online and uses Web-based programs created by companies to host game and league-style competition. Fantasy sport utilizes player information and statistics from actual competition. Since the concept of fantasy sport is based around this type information, it utilizes several communication outlets to assist in the overall experience. Any person involved in fantasy sport can seek out information from a newspaper, magazine, radio, television, or the Web. The purpose of this study is to identify in what ways fantasy sport host sites and traditional communication outlets are meeting the informational needs of the fantasy sport user. Data were collected through the use of an open-ended questionnaire completed by fantasy sport users. The results of this study indicate a majority veering away from their fantasy sport host site and using the Web as a means to gather news, player information, statistics, and expert advice. They also use television as a way to watch, listen, or seek information from game broadcasts. Reasons for not using a particular communication outlet range from issues of access, desire to use, cost, and choice of another outlet.