Fantasy Football Participants Research Articles

Exploring Fantasy Football Involvement and Mental Health through Player Experience, Engagement Levels, Social Comparisons, and Financial Incentives

Background Fantasy sports are a rapidly growing complement to the sports industry and recent research has explored the mental health experiences of those who play the game. Aim This study aimed to test the findings from two such studies ( Wilkins et al., 2021 ; Wilkins et al., 2023 ). Methods Questionnaire data measuring depression, anxiety, stress, positive mood, negative mood, problematic behaviour, and functional impairment from 635 fantasy football players were analysed using one-way ANOVAs. Results Amongst the significant results were the findings that: i) more experienced players reported less anxiety than less experienced players, and ii) players who engaged more with the game, made more social comparisons, and had greater financial involvement generally reported more mental health concerns and more positive mood than other players. Conclusion Engagement levels play an important role in determining the wellbeing experience of fantasy football participants. These findings also lend support to the ‘Framework of Hypothesised Factors Leading to Predominantly Positive or Negative Experiences in FF’ and should be used by stakeholders within the fantasy sports industry to optimise the game-playing experience of participants.

Evaluating the Motivations Driving Fantasy Football Participants in Selecting Fantasy Football Analysts for Information Consumption

Abstract: The fantasy sport industry has experienced substantial growth, with a value of $22.3 billion in 2021 (Research and Markets, 2021), which has facilitated an increase in both fantasy sport participation and media-content consumption. With the sustained growth across these two areas, fantasy sport participants are relying on a key stakeholder in the industry for information across a number of communication media: fantasy sport analysts. To date, limited research has investigated the role of these analysts within fantasy sport, especially in the context of the motivations that influence participants to engage with these key stakeholders. Therefore, using the uses and gratifications (U&G) theoretical foundation, the current study examined which participation motivations have a direct effect in driving fantasy football participants to identify fantasy football analysts for information consumption. Through a questionnaire, the results found that competition and financial outcomes had a strong positive relationship with analyst selection, while social interaction yielded a moderate relationship. Entertainment, however, demonstrated no relationship with the reliance on fantasy sport analysts. This research helps advance the understanding of U&G within the fantasy sport context and provides a guidepost for analysts looking to meet the specific needs of participants relying on them for content.

Toward a Better Understanding of Fantasy Football and Dehumanization of Athletes: Is Fantasy Sport Gambling to Blame?

Abstract: A growing amount of attention has been paid to the topic of dehumanization of professional athletes. Fantasy sport has been explored as a driver of this phenomenon, but empirical evidence has yet to be provided. This research explores the role of gambling—that is, whether fantasy participants were more driven by money or entertainment/escape—in this phenomenon. Results of SEM analysis indicated that fantasy football participation motivated by gambling was positively associated with dehumanization, while participation for the purpose of entertainment/escape was negatively related. This suggests it is not fantasy sport in itself that is a predictor of dehumanization but rather participation motivated by gambling. In addition to extending the literature on dehumanization amongst fantasy participants, the research provides guidance for fantasy sport service providers’ game terminology while also informing the potential role of fantasy sport in proliferating the inability for sport fans to understand mental health struggles amongst athletes.

Fantasy sports participation and the (de)humanization of professional athletes

The dehumanization of professional athletes by sports fans has become a talking point for mainstream media, and fantasy sports participation is in the crosshairs. The social competition and romanticized ownership of the game spur strategy where participants theoretically utilize professional athletes in a mechanistic fashion, and as a result, may dehumanize them in the process. Previous work studying dehumanization in gaming has found outcomes related to moral disengagement and isolation. Recent research, however, found fantasy football participants actually humanize their own fantasy athletes over non-fantasy athletes. The current study looked to confirm the previous work and extend it to the context of fantasy baseball. Two samples of fantasy participants (football and baseball) were tested from a mechanistic dehumanization perspective. The results provide an opportunity for broadcasters, developers, teams, leagues, and even athletes to capitalize on the unique relationship between fantasy participants and professional athletes.

Fantasy Football (Soccer) Playing and Internet Addiction Among Online Fantasy Football Participants: A Descriptive Survey Study

The aim of the present study was to ascertain the levels of possible internet addiction within fantasy football (FF) (soccer) participants and the characteristics of the participants within this group. An online survey of questions regarding characteristics of regular FF participants and consumption of FF-related content was posted on FF internet forums (Reddit and Boards.ie). Self-selecting participants (N = 684) completed the survey containing questions on FF (time spent during weekdays/weekend on FF, gambling on FF, devices used to access FF), internet use (time spent on internet on weekdays/weekends) and an internet addiction screening questionnaire (Chen Internet Addiction Scale). Subgroup analysis was performed on each variable by nationality (Irish, UK and worldwide). Of the 684 participants, 17.5% (diagnostic) and 24.9% (screening) participants met criteria for internet addiction, above the expected level in the general population. The most frequent time spent on FF during weekdays was 30–60 min per day (32.2%) and 1–2 h per day on weekends (29.1%). Over half of participants (50.6%) gambled on FF with the majority (61.3%) gambling once per year and 74.3% of participants gambling less than €50 per year on FF. Avid FF participants demonstrated an increased likelihood of internet addiction compared prevalence rates of previous epidemiological studies among different cohorts. This may be due to FF itself and the increased consumption of FF-related content. Further large-scale nationally representative studies are required to compare regular and casual participants of FF in relation to possible internet addiction.

Man or Machine: Fantasy Football and Dehumanization of Professional Athletes

Fantasy sport has seen substantial growth over the last several decades, provoking research on how participation impacts the perceptions of teams and players. Following research in the field of economics, which has found that contexts promoting the assignment of economic value to humans result in dehumanization, the authors explored the dehumanization of professional athletes among fantasy football participants. Specifically, given that fantasy football requires participants to view players in terms of value in drafts, trades, and waiver claims, this should theoretically force participants to view them as commodities more so than humans. Across three implicit association test experiments and a qualitative study, the authors found fantasy football participants to be more apt to associate humanness with athletes on their fantasy roster(s) than non-fantasy-eligible athletes. Furthermore, qualitative insights indicate that participation in fantasy can serve to humanize players in a way that traditional sport consumption does not. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

To Play or Not to Play? An Analysis of Dispositions, Gambling, and Daily Fantasy Sport

Following a mega-advertising blitz in the late summer of 2015, daily fantasy sports (DFSs) entered a maturing fantasy sports market as a new, highly accessible, and potentially lucrative alternative to traditional, season-long fantasy sports. The two activities share a name but represent substantially different business models. In the view of some policy makers and state legislatures, DFS appeared to resemble a new form of sports wagering and as a result, several U.S. states banned the activity. The current study examined the consumption behavior differences and gambling-related dispositions of those fantasy participants who play DFS and those who do not. A total of 314 fantasy football participants were surveyed, and the results contribute to what we know about gambling and DFS participation. Although distinct differences were found between the two groups, the overall assessment of the findings suggest DFS participation appears to align more with highly involved traditional, season-long fantasy sports participation than other forms of gambling.

Investigation of the Relationship Among Fantasy Football Participation Motivation, Consumer Satisfaction and Behavioral Intentions

While consumer motivation is considered as a theoretical approach that explains how individuals choose to engage in various consumption behaviors at certain times, the theory of disapproval provides a common theoretical basis for exploring and explaining consumer satisfaction and consumer responses to consumption. As a matter of fact, it is important for the management to determine how the effect of motivation on consumer satisfaction and the future tendencies of individuals after consumption. In this context, the aim of the study was to reveal the motivation of participating individuals in the fantasy football and to investigate the relationship of motivation between, consumer satisfaction and behavioral intentions. The research was carried out by the survey model and the judgmental sampling method was used for sampling. The study population consisted of 509 active fantasy football participants in Turkey. The data were collected by an on-line survey method based on volunteerism. In order to determine participant characteristics, descriptive statistics and to identify the relationships between variables, correlation and regression analysis were used. The findings showed that there was a positive statistically significant relationship between fantasy football participation motivation (FFPM) sub-dimensions and consumer satisfaction and behavioral intention variables. As a result of the regression analysis, FFPM (subscales of entertainment, social interaction and gambling) could be predicted behavioral intent @ 36% (F = 92,453, p <0.01). On the other hand, behavioral intention could be explained by consumer satisfaction at @% 54 (F = 591,325, p <0,01). When both variables were included in the analysis, FFPM entertainment sub-dimension (β = 0.228) and consumer satisfaction (β = 0.604) could be clarified behavioral intentions by 57% (F (2, 506) = 340.236; p <0.01). In conclusion, it can be stated that FFPM and consumer satisfaction are important determinants of behavioral intentions separately and together.

Measuring Fantasy Team and Favorite Team Interactivity Through Implicit Association

Traditional team fandom is a vital component of contemporary spectator sport marketing and communication. However, fantasy sport has recently emerged as a potential threat to team fandom, particularly with regard to the interactivity provided by the virtual game. Research has found evidence that fantasy sport can be both a substitute and a complement to traditional team fandom. However, with limited control over traditional team outcomes and perceived control over fantasy team outcomes, interactivity has emerged as a potential differentiator between the two forms of fandom. Guided by the fantasy football participation and consumption model and endowment theory, the current study conducted an implicit association experiment on the interactivity and passiveness of contemporary professional sport fandom. These results were combined with self-report data to explore potential indicators of implicit bias. The experiment uncovered an association of interactivity to favorite team players and passiveness to fantasy team players. The post hoc examination of potential predictors found the drive to compete, and in-season game outcomes positively impacted the unexpected interactivity implicit bias.

Challenge Accepted: Why Women Play Fantasy Football

Women represent the fastest growing demographic for the fantasy sports industry, making up approximately 38% of fantasy football participants. To help understand this growth, this study was an attempt to explore why women play fantasy football. Themes and statements derived from qualitative data collected through open-ended survey responses and face-to-face interviews were tested on two samples of female fantasy football participants. In all, 450 unique individuals were studied, and five distinct motive factors were uncovered: Challenge, Enjoy, Enhance, Socialize, and Connect. The first three dimensions mirror the motives of male participants, and the other two are unique to women. While the factors were correlated, the results provide evidence that the factors impact different outcomes associated with the activity.

The paradoxical relationship between fantasy football and NFL consumption: Conflict development and consumer coping mechanisms

Fantasy sport participation represents an increasingly popular consumer experience among the contemporary sport consumption alternatives. Previous work on fantasy sports draws attention to both its positive and negative effects on traditional sport consumption. This study investigates fantasy football participants’ perspectives, meanings, and experiences regarding their fantasy football and NFL consumption behavior. Employing a grounded theory methodology, the study draws on literatures spanning from sport consumption and fantasy sports to consumer co-creation and intrapersonal conflict, and combines them with data collection and analysis. The outcome is a new organizing framework that illustrates why there is conflict between fantasy and favorite team fandom and how fantasy sport participants cope with this conflict. First, the study illustrates that this conflict stems from the non-traditional co-creation opportunities inherent in the empowering fantasy sports experience, which leads to a psychological connection to the fantasy team and players through the feeling of self-achievement. Second, the study identifies various coping strategies that sport consumers employ to manage conflicts with player selection (i.e., safe selection, convergent selection, divergent selection, and impartial selection strategies) and rooting interests (i.e., balanced interest, principal interest-shift, temporal interest-shift, and benefit-seeking interest-shift strategies).

Enterprise Systems and Data Analytics

In sport there has been a reluctance to adopt new forms of technology unless it is associated with improving performance. However, in recent times, professional sport bodies have commenced using enterprise systems and data analytics for off-field activities. The authors use a case study approach in the paper to document the manner in which the National Football League (NFL) made available its vast array of historical and contemporary data to Fantasy Football participants through the adoption of an enterprise system that included in-memory processing and data analytics capabilities. Through a new player comparison tool, optimum player selections are made, enabling people to make more informed decisions on the management of their fantasy team. Furthermore, by making available its unique assortment of data to fantasy players, the NFL was able to expand its Fantasy Football platform. The paper provides insight into how other sporting bodies might be able to leverage their data capabilities.

Knocked Out: The Once and Future Demise of Football

This paper will analyze one strategic threat to the National Football League (NFL). Football is king. Football is the most popular sport in America. The NFL is the most profitable professional sports league in America. From the sharp increase in fantasy football participation to television ratings, the NFL has enjoyed unparalleled success recently. This paper will argue that significant market forces will threaten the NFL. This paper acknowledges the many recent public relations difficulties the NFL has faced. Player conduct ranging from domestic abuse to performance enhancing drug use has created a difficult media environment. Further, NFL owners have faced difficulties ranging from drug addiction to accusation of complicity when handling player discipline issues. This paper will argue that while those things are damaging in the short-term they do not represent a strategic threat to the sport itself. This paper will argue that the recent NFL Players’ Association lawsuit against the league for damages caused by concussions will lead to very serious difficulties for the sport itself. The lawsuit has been settled for hundreds of millions of dollars. This paper will argue, however, that the lawsuit itself is not a grave threat to football. This paper will argue that the strategic threat revealed in the lawsuit is subtle. This paper will argue that increasing insurance costs – driven by threats of future lawsuits – will create changes to the current marketplace for football that could threaten the long-term viability of organized football. This paper acknowledges the inherent difficulty of predicting future events. Therefore, this paper uses argument by analogy to show how increasing insurance costs have affected popular, youth-oriented activities previously. While this paper does acknowledge there may be some important differences between the analogues selected and football, this paper argues that the insurance mechanism will create significant supply problems that will hamper the sustained popularity of the sport.

The Effects of Fantasy Football Participation on Team Identification, Team Loyalty and NFL Fandom

An estimated 35 million people in North America participated in fantasy sport in 2011. This study examines how participation levels in fantasy football affect team identification, team loyalty, fandom of the National Football League ( NFL ), and consumer behavior. Survey results indicate higher fantasy participation levels leading to higher team identification, higher team loyalty, and higher fandom, where fandom of the NFL is higher than team identification. Other results show higher levels of fantasy participation led to more time spent watching NFL games as well as more time spent online researching and updating their fantasy football team. Additionally, 41% of fantasy football participants prefer a win by their fantasy team instead of their favorite team. A win preference of fantasy team resulted in lower team identification and team loyalty, which has major implications on ticket sales, team merchandise sales, and sponsorship sales.

Divided Loyalty? An Analysis of Fantasy Football Involvement and Fan Loyalty to Individual National Football League (NFL) Teams

Fantasy football participation is an extremely-popular, yet unique online activity that combines traditional sport fandom with interactive components to enhance a fan’s overall sport experience. The player-specific concentration of the game, however, has the potential to alter traditional team-focused loyalties that have driven sport consumer behavior inquiry for decades. Due to this intriguing circumstance, this study investigated the relationship between fantasy football involvement and traditional NFL fan loyalty. In addition, given the varying levels of fantasy participation, this study examined factors that predict differing levels of involvement among fantasy owners. The results suggest a positive relationship between involvement and attitudinal loyalty and a nonstandard relationship between a highly-involved fantasy football participant’s attitudes and behaviors, especially with regard to team loyalty. Discussed are the theoretical repercussions of this conceptual disconnect, the potential for future research, and practical implications for the future marketing of individual teams, leagues, and fantasy-related applications.

The Impact of Fantasy Football Involvement on Intentions to Watch National Football League Games on Television

The business of fantasy football is a multibillion dollar-per-year industry. However, academic inquiry into the distinct attitudes and intentions of fantasy football participants is underdeveloped. Therefore, following Fazio, Powell, and Herr’s proposed attitude–behavior framework, this study examined the relationship between sport fans’ attitudes, fantasy football involvement level, and intentions to watch the televised broadcast of National Football League (NFL) games. The results suggest that fantasy football is a noteworthy connection point for NFL fans. Specifically, fantasy participation appears to duplicate the positive and negative attitudes of traditional team fandom, and this replication ultimately increases television viewership throughout the league. Thus, instead of competing with traditional team-focused professional-football viewership, fantasy football appears to be a complementary or value-adding activity. Discussed are theoretical outcomes, as well as the practical implications for sport marketers and media providers looking to capitalize on this highly popular and lucrative online activity.

For Love or Money: Developing and Validating a Motivational Scale for Fantasy Football Participation

The contemporary sport fan has the ability to consume spectator sport through several means including event attendance, television and radio broadcasts, print publications, and Internet applications. Recently, an ancillary sport service, termed fantasy sports, has become one of the most popular activities among sport fans. As a result, the business of fantasy sports is booming. This study examined motivational dimensions underlying fantasy football participation from a Uses and Gratifications perspective. Utilizing Churchill’s (1979) five-step method for developing quality marketing measures, this study identified and validated three motivational dimensions: entertainment/escape, competition, and social interaction. The results suggest a pattern of fantasy football participation that is more purposeful and active than traditional media use. Discussed are the gambling associations, future research opportunities, and suggestions for developing fantasy football participation into a more creative and interactive marketing communication tool.

The Impact of Fantasy Football Participation on NFL Attendance

The fantasy sports industry, primarily led by fantasy football, has reportedly grown to 18 million unique players generating over $2 billion dollars annually according to the Fantasy Sports Trade Association. Anecdotal evidence suggests that this impressive growth is also generating increased interest for the sports on which the games are based. We use survey data from the ESPN Sports Poll to determine whether fantasy football participation increases NFL game attendance. The results suggest that fantasy football participants are not only more likely to attend at least one game per year, but also that they attend between 0.22 and 0.57 more games per season.

The effects of fantasy football participation on NFL consumption: A qualitative analysis

The growth of fantasy sports into a multi-billion dollar industry has made it an important component of the sports industry. Sport leagues must acknowledge the impact fantasy sports have on the way its participants consume their sport. This study examines the impact of fantasy football on the consumption of NFL-related products and services using an adapted version of the attitude/behavior model developed [Fazio, R. H., Powell, M. C., & Herr, P. M. (1983). Toward a process model of the attitude–behavior relation: Accessing one's attitude upon mere observation of the attitude object. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 44(4), 723–735]. Using qualitative methods, the data indicate that fantasy football participants utilized various media sources, specifically the Internet, television, cellular telephones, and a variety of print media, at much higher levels as a result of their interest and participation in fantasy football. Further, contrary to previous literature on fan loyalty, team and player outcomes were found to alter perceptions towards a favorite team or a fantasy team.