What once was just a casual pastime for some sports fans has grown into a worldwide phenomenon. Fantasy football has evolved into an extensive ecosystem that connects players from different countries and continents together. With massive prizes and championships fueling the industry, it has to be taken seriously and fantasy sports, in general, are growing every day.
Fantasy football now has a huge legitimate market around it. Not only are professional leagues supporting it and running their own tournaments and giveaways for fans, but there are also numerous online platforms that are solely dedicated to the pastime.
Many websites offer resources for fans to make teams or research their favourite player’s stats, and other platforms offer a sign-up bonus to entice more fans to participate in this growing hobby. Overall fantasy sports are doing very well and have a great future ahead.
How Fantasy Football Got Started
Many fantasy football players of today may not know the history of the game. Fantasy sports started in the US in the 1960s with early versions of fantasy baseball and American football. This was the beginning of fantasy sports as we know them, and soon many other fans of popular sports created their own fantasy versions.
While these fantasy sports proved to be popular and fun, it wasn’t until after the internet came into existence that they really took off. People were able to easily share their passion for the game, and this of course spawned bigger leagues with more players. Soon, tournaments were being held and players were winning huge prizes. Of course, this action brought even more fans into the game which led to platforms like DraftKings and others.
Why Fans Love it
If you were to ask 100 fans why they love fantasy football, they would all have their own reasons and they would all be valid. For most people, fantasy sports are just an extension of their dedicated love for the live sport. Fans get to test out their knowledge and finally put the hours they spend pouring over stats to some use. There is also the competitive nature that brings the best out of players. Challenging your friends to see who has the best team is exciting and rewarding.
In many ways, fantasy sports really brings you closer to the real-life counterpart. In the pursuit of having the best team in the league, you learn so much more about the players, their history and skills, and a lot about the sport in general. You understand the finer details and nuances of the game and what it takes for the real-life athletes to succeed. In between matches of the regular football season, fantasy sports players tide themselves over by creating their ultimate dream team. In their pursuit of bargain picks, fans learn about many up and coming players as well.
Of course, then there is the competitive side of fantasy sports that truly makes it an obsession for many. With big leagues come a lot of big prizes and accolades that makes all of the struggle worthwhile. Athletes in football like to win, and the fantasy sports players do as well.
The Future for Fantasy Football
While fantasy sports were fun when it was just friends in a room pouring over graphs and charts, they really took off when it was integrated with technology. This is the real future for fantasy sports. With more apps and online platforms centred around the industry, it’s only natural that the entire ecosystem will get larger every year. People and their smartphones are inseparable these days, and through apps and social media, even more fans will be turned onto this great pastime.
It’s very interesting to see all the different paths that are sprouting up from fantasy sports. Already across social media, you can find many so-called “fantasy sports professionals” that offer guidance and expertise for other players. It’s inevitable that people will find a way to turn their hobbies into full-time professions and that is what we’re seeing in many ways across fantasy sports. This extends to bloggers, vloggers, and professional gamers. Lastly, as technology grows, we will see fantasy sports extend to wider audiences and more unique markets.
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