Tag Archives: fantasy

Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Company Unveils Cities, Team Names and Logos for the Hall Of Fantasy League

Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Company (“HOFV” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: HOFV, HOFVW), the only resort, entertainment and media company centered around the power of professional football, is excited to unveil the team locations, names and logos for the Hall Of Fantasy League (“HOFL”), the first national fantasy league that allows you to experience a fantasy team with a community of shared stakeholders. The 10 franchises that will comprise the HOFL include:

  1. Atlanta Hot Wings
  2. Boston Barflies
  3. Chicago Hogmollies
  4. Los Angeles Sidekicks
  5. New York Bodega Cats
  6. Ohio GOATS
  7. Philadelphia Powderkegs
  8. Seattle Haze
  9. Texas Y’allers
  10. Vegas Pocket Kings

Unlike traditional fantasy sports leagues where individuals pay an entry fee, manage their own teams and compete against friends over the course of a season, the HOFL reimagines fantasy entirely through a professional sports league structure and community-driven format. Utilizing the concept of staking, the HOFL’s model aggregates fan bases and large communities of fantasy players by unifying them as shared team stakeholders in a season-long national fantasy league. Each franchise will be managed by a dedicated front office consisting of prominent fantasy experts and will include high-profile personalities from the world of professional football as team ambassadors. Staking – making a financial contribution to cover a portion of a participant’s entry fee, and in return taking a percentage of the winnings – is made possible through HOFV’s previously announced partnership with StakeKings.

“Today is another very exciting day for our company and for the millions of fantasy football fans across the country,” said Michael Crawford, President and CEO of HOFV. “The HOFL will transcend the way people have traditionally participated in fantasy sports, allowing them to be part of a community that financially stakes a regional franchise to receive a percentage of any winnings and interacts with a dedicated front office consisting of top fantasy players. No other fantasy sports platform can offer its participants an experience like this over the course of a season. We look forward to the growth of the league and to each of our franchises becoming embedded in the sports cultures of their respective locations.” 

Starting today, sports fans and fantasy football enthusiasts throughout the country can purchase stakes in any of the HOFL’s franchises. Team stakeholders will be entitled to a portion of their teams’ winnings based on their entry amount, and will have access to exclusive content, communications and team governance features. This will provide opportunities for stakeholders to collaborate and engage with each other, as well as provide direct input on key roster moves with their franchises’ front office teams, which will be unveiled at a later date.

The HOFL leverages and replicates key aspects of pro sports leagues with its professional management of its franchises and merchandise/apparel with team branding. Beginning this morning, staking, the purchase of merchandise as well as high-quality content providing contextual coverage and analysis of the HOFL will be live, all of which can be found at www.thehofl.com. Participants can also stay engaged with the HOFL community year-round via the Hall Of Trivia, a live, weekly sports and fantasy-themed trivia show airing exclusively on the HQ Trivia app every Tuesday at 8 p.m. EDT. The show is hosted by sports broadcaster Jeff Eisenband, and features appearances by NFL legends as well as prominent sports and fantasy personalities.

“We are so excited to kick off a new era in fantasy sports by unveiling the locations, team names and logos of the HOFL,” said Mat Sposta, Senior Executive Consultant for HOFV. “In addition to transforming the way fantasy sports are played altogether, the HOFL solves one of the biggest pain points fantasy players are subjected to each year: the solitary fandom and lonely experience of managing a team by yourself. By financially backing one of the HOFL’s regional franchises, individuals become part of an immersive community with similar rooting interests and financial incentives.” 

In addition to announcing who will comprise the front office of each franchise over the coming weeks, HOFV will be launching the HOFL mobile app, which will serve as the league’s main platform. What’s more, HOFV plans to leverage its partnership with Dolphin Entertainment to offer fans opportunities to buy and sell NFTs associated with the HOFL’s unique gameplay, content and talent.

To learn more about the HOFL and stay updated on all league announcements (including signing up for its newsletter), visit www.thehofl.com or follow it on FacebookTwitter or Instagram (@TheHOFLeague).

Weekly Fantasy Sports Provider, OwnersBox, Partners With Industry Leader DailyFaceoff

OwnersBox, an innovative sport-tech company behind the new Weekly Fantasy Sports (WFS) platform is ecstatic to announce that they have partnered with top NHL fantasy sports content site DailyFaceoff.

As OwnersBox gears up for their inaugural fantasy hockey season, the team wanted to expand their reach and make a big splash. Daily Faceoff has been a leader in the hockey space for over a decade and prides themselves on being the fastest and most accurate site for projected and confirmed starting goalies as well as line combinations. They provide daily news, projections, and tools for fantasy hockey players across North America. 

When asked for comment, President & CEO Brian Kipp stated: “As we actively prepare for the upcoming NBA & NHL seasons, we wanted to target a well-known trusted platform such as DailyFaceoff to leverage their network and help grow the Weekly Fantasy Sports movement. I’ve been an active Daily Faceoff user for years and am excited to work with the DFO team this year.” 

OwnersBox and the Daily Faceoff will begin their relationship at the start of the 2021 season and will be collaborating through content, social media & weekly fantasy sports strategy articles. This partnership will allow OwnersBox to keep their momentum going from the NFL season into the new year with the NBA and NHL on the horizon.

Return Of Live Sports, Season Simulations Gives Strat-O-Matic Board, Digital Baseball Games A Record Setting Run

Strat-O-Matic Baseball

With baseball, basketball, hockey and others back on the fields, courts and ice, and football training camps underway, fans have been able to enjoy live sports that the COVID-19 pandemic has denied them. With hopes high that the delayed seasons can continue through to their conclusions, fans’ enthusiasm for Strat-O-Matic (www.strat-o-matic.com) baseball board and digital games set records for sales and engagement, according to numbers released today by the market leader in sports simulations.

For the period of March through July 2020, Strat-O-Matic sales far surpassed the same time frame in 2019:

  • Baseball Board and Windows platform sales are more than 70% higher
  • Baseball Board game product sales are more than 85% higher
  • Baseball Windows platform sales are more than 50% higher
  • Strat-O-Matic Baseball 365 sales are more than double
  • New Members on Strat-O-Matic Baseball 365 are more than 200% higher

And this past month, as the pro squads were returning, interest in Strat-O-Matic baseball was even more pronounced, as compared to July 2019:

  • Baseball Board game product sales were more than 80% higher
  • Baseball Windows platform sales were more than double
  • Strat-O-Matic Baseball 365 sales were more than double

The Strat-O-Matic daily baseball season simulation also brought the company unprecedented attention from popular sports and entertainment personalities and media outlets:

““I am proud our incredible team was able to pivot in this complex market,” said Adam Richman, Strat-O-Matic President. “We are thrilled live sports have come back, and through the pandemic, simulation’s crucial place in sports has become clear. 

“We look forward to providing more entertainment and connection for sports fans,” he added. “Strat-O-Matic has been and will continue to be the bridge to fill holes as professional sports leagues awaken and occasionally pause as our country moves through this difficult time.”

FanDuel Sportsbook Spreads The Love As NBA Tips Off

credit: Keith Allison

Opening night of the Battle in the Bubble will feature the Lakers and Clippers facing off for a pivotal win, and FanDuel Sportsbook is giving customers a chance to get an even bigger win when a legal sports bet is placed on the game. Today, FanDuel Sportsbook, a division of FanDuel Group, will once again bring its innovative Spread the Love ™ promotion to customers to celebrate the return of the NBA on TNT.

For every 2,500 customers who bet on the Lakers in the special Spread the Love Market, FanDuel will move the spread one point in the Lakers favor. There’s no limit to how good this line can get and the line won’t stop increasing until fans stop betting, or the game tips off. New and current customers can place a bet in the special Spread the Love Market to qualify and no matter what spread the bet is placed on – every wager placed in the market will receive the final spread.

“Spread the Love is one of our signature promotions and it’s exciting to watch the line move throughout the day, especially for such an important game on the first night of NBA action returning,” said Mike Raffensperger, CMO of FanDuel Group. “There is no limit to how good this spread can get and it doesn’t matter what line you have when you place a wager, everyone will get the final spread.”

The Lakers spread will begin the day at -4 with odds at -110. Max bet is $50. Spread the Love promotional spreads were introduced into the legal sports betting market by FanDuel in 2019. The Indianapolis Colts wound up with a +51 spread against the Saints last December and the 76ers point spread closed at +59.5 against the Bucks earlier this year.

The FanDuel Sportsbook is available for download today in iOS and Android. To track the line movement throughout the day, follow @FDSportsbook on Twitter.

FanDuel Gives More Than $80 Million To Customers

With the return of sports this week, every current FanDuel customer with a daily fantasy sports account and/or an online sportsbook account is today waking up to an extra $10 site credit in their account to celebrate the return of sports. Whether a customer signed up today or in 2015, more than $80 million in site credits has been distributed to FanDuel customers to use for daily fantasy contests and legal sports bets as the NBA, NHL and MLB return to action after a long layoff.

“We are excited for the return of sports and wanted to give all of our customers a chance to get in on the action for free,” said Mike Raffensperger, CMO of FanDuel Group. “Putting more than $80 million in site credits into our customers’ accounts to enter DFS contests or to make legal sports bets is a thank you to our customers for their loyalty during this long stretch without the NBA, NHL and MLB.”

As America’s #1 Sportsbook app and an official partner of the NBA, MLB and NHL, FanDuel leads the industry in customer friendly promotions. FanDuel was the first legal U.S. sports betting operator to offer early payouts for futures wagers, the first to offer Spread the Love where the line was moved in the customer’s favor for every 2500 bets placed on a particular market, the first to offer a Bad Beat Refund as well as daily generous super odds boosts and promotions. To celebrate the Return of Sports, FanDuel is also offering up to a day of risk free betting up to $100 for all users on their first day back to the site from 7/21-8/2.

The more than $80 million site credit giveaway will be accompanied by an advertising campaign with a new television commercial beginning July 22. The $10 provided to customers will be in the form of either FanDuel DFS site credit or FanDuel Sportsbook site credit. There are no state restrictions and the special offer is available to new and current customers. Customers will need to use the $10 by August 2 or the site credit will be voided.

Yahoo Sports and BetMGM Announce Exclusive Partnership

Guru Gowrappan, CEO of Verizon Media and Jim Murren, Chairman and CEO of MGM Resorts International announced today that Yahoo Sports has entered into a historic partnership with MGM Resorts and Roar Digital, a joint venture between global gaming industry leaders MGM Resorts and GVC Holdings, to power sports betting for Yahoo Sports and create collaborative content experiences and live events. The announcement builds upon Verizon Media’s core strategy to connect content and discovery to transactions and is a natural extension of Yahoo Sports’ mission to reimagine sports for fans with unprecedented experiences.

As part of the multi-year partnership, the integration will launch in the Yahoo Sports app in November in the U.S., with transactions to take place on the BetMGM platform. Yahoo Sports will be an official Digital Media Sports Partner of MGM Resorts.

“The historic partnership with Yahoo Sports and BetMGM will change the future of fandom, providing new ways for sports fans to go beyond engaging with content and interact through commerce,” said Gowrappan. “At Verizon Media we believe in building products that connect consumers to their passions and drive the deepest end-to-end value possible.”

“This partnership marks an important moment for BetMGM in the growing U.S. sports betting sector,” said Murren. “Integrating Yahoo’s leading fantasy sports operations and content with BetMGM’s world-class sports betting and interactive platform uniquely positions us to drive market share and large-scale adoption among sports fans.”

The experience will feature a wide variety of global sports, including the NBA, NHL, football, college sports, baseball, soccer, golf and tennis.

“As sports betting continues to transform the industry, this partnership brings together the power of two trusted partners of the NBA,” said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. “By working together, MGM Resorts and Yahoo Sports will offer fans unprecedented ways to engage with our games.”

“The expanding sports betting landscape presents exciting opportunities to increase fan engagement and leverage emerging technologies,” said NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman. “MGM Resorts, a valued partner of the NHL, along with Yahoo, a leading media brand, will connect fans to the action on the ice in new and innovative ways.”

As part of this partnership, MGM Resorts and Yahoo Sports will collaborate on an array of content experiences, exclusive live events, and more than 20 high profile major sporting and promotional marketing efforts. MGM Resorts will also distribute Yahoo Sports content across its properties and platforms. Yahoo Sports will also be hosting multiple player events at MGM Resorts properties.

“This is an exciting partnership for the BetMGM brand and Roar Digital, helping us reach the widest possible audience of engaged sports fans in the U.S.,” added Roar Digital CEO, Adam Greenblatt. “The Yahoo Sports app and digital sports content is enjoyed by 60 million U.S. users every month, while Yahoo Fantasy Football clocks 9 billion minutes of user time every year. Together we offer fans a winning combination.”

With more than 68 percent growth in U.S. Mobile App visitors year-over-year, Yahoo Sports is shaping the future of sports for fans. To learn more, download the Yahoo Sports app on iOS or Google Play.

FantasyEsports.gg and Razer Announce Global Partnership to Deliver Innovative and Rewarding Fantasy Esports Platform

FantasyEsports.gg, a global esports technology company, and Razer™, the leading global lifestyle brand for gamers, have announced a new partnership to deliver one of the most innovative and rewarding fantasy esports platforms to gamers around the globe.

The partnership kicked off last week with the start of the 2019 League of Legends World Championship and will provide gamers the opportunity to enter free-to-play fantasy esports contests on the FantasyEsports.gg platform using their Razer ID and win great prizes including Razer products and Razer Silver.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with Razer for the League of Legends World Championships,” says Rossi Biddle, FantasyEsports.gg co-founder and CEO. “This collaboration will allow us to share our free-to-play fantasy contests with a broader audience around the globe and celebrate our shared commitment to the gaming community.”

“FantasyEsports.gg is a unique opportunity to bring esports to a larger audience and we’re very happy to extend this experience to our gamers,” says David Tse, Global Esports Director for Razer. “We hope that Razer’s partnership with FantasyEsports.gg will encourage participation by enhancing the gamer’s experience.”

Launched in 2018, FantasyEsports.gg features sophisticated performance-based scoring systems, unique contest formats, a detailed research center, interactive live experiences, and prizes from the world’s biggest gaming brands. The platform currently supports League of Legends, with Dota 2, Overwatch, and CS:GO scheduled to launch in late 2019.

Razer Silver is the only loyalty rewards program for gamers, backed by Razer. Earn Razer Silver simply by using Razer Gold to make your game purchases or participating in Razer software and services. When you rack up enough Razer Silver, you get to redeem a suite of great rewards – from Razer hardware to digital rewards such as Steam games and exclusive discount vouchers on various lifestyle brands.

Pro Football Doc Launches Free Injury Analysis Subscription Service

Flickr/ KA Sports Photos

Dr. David Chao, aka the Pro Football Doc, today announced the launch of a free subscription service that provides reliable, real-time and in-depth injury insight and analysis designed to help fans make more informed fantasy, daily fantasy and wagering decisions throughout the football season.

A former 17-year head team doctor for the San Diego Chargers and board-certified orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Chao has become a sought-after and dependable resource for fans and media by quickly using game video to provide an opinion on the type and severity of a player’s injury – as well as the short- and long-term impact for that athlete and his team. With a proven accuracy over 95%, these actionable insights aren’t available from teams, media or elsewhere.

“Our goal is to provide insider knowledge that fans cannot get anywhere else, give it to them in real-time, place it within the larger context and allow them to make the most informed decisions in an easy to use online platform,” Chao said. “I’m never going to tell anyone who to pick, but I will give the relevant injury information to give them an edge.”

While Dr. Chao’s Twitter feed (@ProFootballDoc) will continue to provide followers with injury insight, this new service will provide enhanced information that takes subscribers deeper. Features include:

· Weekly Injury Index™. A proprietary, in-depth match-up-based assessment of each team’s overall health, arriving at least 24 hours prior to each game. It includes breakdowns by offense and defense, as well as rushing and passing.
· Real-time analysis. Fast, thorough analysis of breaking news, including real-time alerts during games throughout the regular season and playoffs.
· Videos. On game days, a pregame video, halftime video and postgame video cover analysis of the latest injury information, helping subscribers be first to act.
· Field View. Subscribers can see a team’s health, position-by-position, on a simulated depth chart – providing quick, clear information at a glance about players and the relative health of an offense or defense.
· Player/Team Search. Easily find specific player and team analysis with an advanced search feature.
· Watch List. Functionality allows fans to set up information about specific players or teams, such as those on a fantasy roster.
· Notification. Alerts about specific players, teams, fantasy lineups or wagering interests.

Injuries remain one of the biggest unknowns in professional sports, and access to up-to-date injury insights may be the most important piece of information for fantasy and daily fantasy players. Dr. Chao uses his orthopedic knowledge and experience with NFL teams to analyze information. His video analysis technique was developed from over 17 years of studying game film after seeing a player on the field, on the sideline, in the locker room and after MRI.

The Injury Index is a proprietary grading system that incorporates the health of each team against the norm in a given week. It’s broken down into run/pass offense/defense to provide better analysis for fantasy, DFS and gambling plays.

According to research published by the NFL, there were more than six reported injuries per game from 2015-2017 that resulted in removal from participation and inability to return to play or inability to take full part in football activities following the injury. Not only are these reported injuries analyzed but also the numerous unreported injuries that can affect a team or player’s performance.

This information will become even more valuable as wagering expands beyond the 11 U.S. states currently approved, as in-game wagering takes flight and as prop wagering expands in the U.S.

Fulltime Fantasy Sports Network Acquires FantasySP.com

Fulltime Fantasy Sports who owns and operates the Fantasy Football World Championships in Las Vegas is acquiring https://www.fantasysp.com. Fantasy SP covers all major sports and builds industry leading apps and tools such as the Fantasy Assistant, Draft Genius and Team Analyzer. Brant Tedeschi sold to Fulltime and joined the Fulltime team as technical director and managing partner.

Fantasy SP has already built a mock draft simulator which is powering Fulltime’s Mock Draft World Championship, A FSTA award winning contest which allows users to mock draft on demand and enter the drafted team in a free to play bestball contest for thousands in cash and prizes. Just visit www.mockdraftnow.com.

“Fulltime stands out in the fantasy industry, and I’m excited to join the network,” says Fulltime Fantasy Sports Technical Director and Managing Partner Brant Tedeschi, “Looking forward to taking things to the next level.”

“We are thrilled to acquire FantasySP.com,” says Fulltime Fantasy Sports owner Ian Ritchie, “This is another giant step in the right direction for Fulltime Fantasy Sports Network.”

“Our community is about to get a big upgrade in overall user experience,” says Fulltime Sports co-owner Scott Atkins, “The tools and technology enhancements that Fantasy SP brings to the table truly makes Fulltime a one stop shop for everything a fantasy player needs to win.”

DraftKings, Arena Football League Launch New Fantasy Sports Game

courtesy AFL

DraftKings and the Arena Football League (AFL) have partnered to launch a new daily fantasy sports game ahead of the AFL’s 2019 season. Customers can now submit contest entries and get even closer to the fast-paced action on the turf that begins April 26th. This AFL offering is the 12th daily fantasy sports category for DraftKings, making the company the leader in available sports among fantasy operators.

“The fast-paced games of the AFL and zeal of its fans will enable a new customer base that loves sports just as much as we do to interact with our products,” said Greg Karamitis, SVP of Fantasy Sports at DraftKings. “The AFL is, and will continue to be, excellent partners in enhancing the entertainment experience for these dedicated fans every weekend for the 2019 season.”

With the AFL expanding its presence from four to six teams in 2019, DraftKings’ data capabilities will source game and player information at every moment of play for fans to leverage in their daily fantasy selections. Customers can enjoy special DraftKings Classic and Showdown modes for AFL contests, constructing lineups of six players while staying within a $50,000 salary cap range and designating a “captain” slot that grants one player a bonus multiplier. Classic contests will require selecting players from more than one game, while Showdown contests must include players from each team.

“We are very excited to be working with DraftKings and know our fans will love playing the fantasy football games DraftKings developed for the AFL,” said Randall Boe, AFL Commissioner. “We want the AFL to be the most innovative league in sports and working with leaders and pioneers like DraftKings is a great fit.”

As football represents the most popular sport on DraftKings, this expansion into Arena Football League daily fantasy contests helps further diversify offerings and address customer demand. Additionally, the DraftKings Sportsbook will offer fans the opportunity to wager on games throughout the AFL season. To engage with the new product, players can either head to www.draftkings.com or download the DraftKings app via iOS and Android.