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It's football, friends and fun, but few women interested in sports fantasy leagues, study finds
Aug. 29, 2000
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Sports fantasy leagues have emerged as another popular marketing tool for professional sports teams and the media organizations that provide team coverage. Ever wonder who else is playing and why they play?
In a survey conducted by the Sports and Entertainment Academy in Indiana University's Kelley School of Business, these questions and others were answered by students and executives aged 25 to 35 in the sports and entertainment industry. Many will renew their interest in football fantasy leagues with the beginning of the professional football season on Sept. 3.
The survey found that 80 percent of respondents participated in fantasy football leagues in the last two years, outdistancing the closest pursuers, baseball and golf online games, which had less than 40 percent participation. The survey also found that more than half of the respondents participated in two different fantasy sports in the last two years.
"Reasons for participating in fantasy sports leagues were headed by promoting camaraderie and friendship, such as sharing time and experiences with friends and having something to talk about with friends and co-workers, including 'talking smack,' a phrase frequently used by respondents," said Thomas Bowers, co-director of the Sports and Entertainment Academy.
Some respondents cited the importance of maintaining old friendships with people who have gone their separate ways. About 90 percent of the respondents cited friendship as a reason to join a fantasy league, and most of them listed it first. About 53 percent play with co-workers or friends at work. Sixty-seven percent play with friends away from work.
Close behind in importance was having fun, listed by almost 60 percent of respondents. Also important was the thrill of competition, including bragging rights and the challenge of running a team, cited also by 56 percent of those who participated. Being a fan of a sport provided encouragement for joining a fantasy league to almost 40 percent of respondents. This reason was especially strong for golf and hockey fans.
The prizes paid by fantasy sports leagues to winning teams was a small or nonexistent incentive for most participants, mentioned by less than 40 percent of respondents. Even respondents who mentioned this factor ranked it very low or said that the cost of phone calls to friends was far greater than any winnings, giving credence to the importance of fantasy sports leagues as a means of maintaining old friendships.
Survey participants in fantasy sports leagues are overwhelmingly male. Fewer than 10 percent of respondents were female. Also, while about 41 percent of all male respondents joined a fantasy league, just over 10 percent of women joined. Respondents who have not joined a fantasy league in the last two years were often adamant in their refusal to participate, citing lack of interest, the demands of real life, and lack of time to follow the players.
With rare exceptions, fantasy league owners devote only a few hours weekly to league play, typically ranging from one to four hours per week per league, with an average of 1.7 hours and a median of two hours per week per league.
At work, almost half the respondents spent at least an hour each week per league. The average was 0.7 hours and the median was one hour per week per league. About 20 percent of the respondents listed one of the reasons they joined a fantasy league as passing time at work or having something to do at work.
Time spent at home was slightly higher than the time devoted at work, averaging just over one hour per week per league. The median was one hour.
The Sports and Entertainment Academy is one of several MBA focus academies in the Kelley School of Business, which provide an opportunity for students to customize and personalize the program according to their interests. This value-added focus lets students meet with top managers who can give them an industry perspective and a network of contacts. Academy students participate in sessions involving visiting speakers, panel discussions and field trips.
They also participate in small group projects in designing and completing an in-depth industry analysis/research project. Each academy member builds a portfolio of work that demonstrates his or her understanding of the sports and entertainment industries and creates a competitive advantage in a challenging placement market. For more information about the academy or this study, contact Bowers at 812-855-9308 or bowers@indiana.edu
(George Vlahakis, 812-855-0846, gvlahaki@indiana.edu)