FanDuel refuses to be left behind, joins eSports fray with AlphaDraft purchase

FanDuel is not letting archrival DraftKings get the biggest piece of fantasy eSports pie. On Thursday, the daily fantasy sports site announced it has bought AlphaDraft, marking its entry into the fantasy eSports market.

The deal came a day after DraftKings, FanDuel’s biggest rival, announced that it will start offering fantasy eSports in its betting lineup.

“With over 200 million people globally watching eSports, AlphaDraft gives those fans a way to engage with this burgeoning entertainment product that creates an enormous opportunity for us,” FanDuel CEO and co-founder Nigel Eccles said in a statement.

Terms of the acquisition deal between the two companies were not disclosed, but Eccles called the merger between FanDuel and AlphaDraft a “win-win” situation for both companies. FanDuel, like DraftKings, is very much focused on professional sports, while AlphaDraft was targeted solely on professional video gaming.