For many people Fantasy Football is a way of life and since it became available on the mobile device it is even more integrated into people's lives. Mobile device use for Fantasy Football has allowed the game to go us us wherever we go and access whenever we want. Yahoo's Fantasy Football app like many other apps, allow users to view scores, add players, manage your roster, matchups, player statistics and news. What do you like about using a mobile device for Fantasy Football?
According to the Yahoo! Blog, "Fantasy Football use tripled last year in 2010 with over 30% of fantasy players engaging on their mobile device." In addition almost half of the Yahoo! Fantasy Football page views came from mobile devices, which was "4 times as much than had been in the past two years." Yahoo! also stated that they expect mobile use to reach 50% this year in 2011. Mobile has allowed the world of Fantasy Football to explode and one can only guess it will continue to experience growth as more applications become available and more people use mobile devices to access Fantasy Sports.
A recent search on the Apple Store leads 180 results for both free and paid mobile applications for Fantasy Football. But really it's not just apps that have changed the way we interact with the game.
Yahoo! released a commercial in 2009 about using its mobile app for Fantasy Football.
Many people are even turning to Facebook to start building Fantasy Football leagues, Facebook just another application available on a mobile device. Do you use Facebook to interact with friends about Fantasy Football drafts? It has even been extended into newer realms of interaction, such as the site oovoo.com
In August 2011 PR Newswire reported that, "Cris Collinsworth are teaming up to bring fans SMACK TALK, the ultimate fantasy football and social video chat experience, through ooVoo's newly released 12-way HD video chat service." 2011 will mark the first year that users can now draft their picks on oovoo.com allowing people to drafts from anywhere at anytime. oovoo.com is spearheading the next movement in social video chatting providing a way for people to interact no matter if its two people or twelve. "The site is also accessible on all major platforms, allowing participation from PC, Mac, iOS and Android phones and tablets." Do you use oovoo.com?
So what has mobile done for the world of Fantasy Football? The game has changed, people want access to entertainment anywhere they go and anytime of day. The mobile device has provided sports fans this opportunity to participate in Fantasy sports wherever they are and to engage with fellow players from all over the world. Mobile is growing the Fantasy Football market, making it more profitable mainly because it allows for access. The future of the Fantasy Football world is strengthened by the mobile market and will continue to grow as more and more people gain more and more access. Where do you check Fantasy Football stats? Home? Work? Traveling? The possibilities are now endless, the game is always with you that is if you want it to be.
Sources:
PR Newswire (2011, August 8). "ooVoo launches 'Smack Talk', the first of its kind ultimate fantasy football social video experience with new 2-way HD offering." Retrieved from EBSCOhost October 23, 2011,
http://www.oovoo.com/SelectedPressReleases/08_17_2011-ooVooLaunchesSmackTalk.htm
Yahoo Blog (2011, March). "Yahoo fantasy baseball '11 and the impact of mobile on fantasy sports." http://ymobileblog.com/blog/2011/03/31/yahoo-fantasy-baseball-’11-the-impact-of-mobile-on-fantasy-sports/
Yahoo Facebook (2011). http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=275851790156
Graphics:
Mobile Picture: http://www.geek.com/articles/mobile/blackberry-playbook-sdk-video-gives-us-a-brief-look-at-the-tablet-2011014/
Yahoo! Commercial: http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=275851790156
Collinsworth Photo: http://www.nationofblue.com/cris-collinsworth-coach-highlands-7646/
Ash,
ReplyDeleteI actually love the oovoo.com site, especially the video chatting aspect. In fact, in my favorite show, The League, many of the team owners and players in their fantasy league chat and SMACK TALK, if you will. I think it can be used as a really fun tool to get some rivalry going. But we have to be careful...
As we discussed in class, I really have a concern for the "hate group" mentality, the idea that we're more likely to express hate in groups since we know we're not alone. I know my experiences with SMACK TALK are good, but what about those that are "fantasy football hungry" and are joining leagues just for the sake of joining them? If you're not familiar with those playing and they aren't your friends, is there room for ILLEGITIMATE SMACK TALK? I think there should definitely be some precaution taken.
Furthermore, nearly everything we do now is mobile. From Facebook to work email, we have the ability to check it all on our phones. Why not fantasy football? I'll tell you why: because at least when I bump into the lady in line in front of my at the grocery store, I'm concerned with work numbers, not my $80 pot stats. ;]
S
First, I have to say great looking blog post!
ReplyDeleteI am still amazed at how much mobile media has become available since the relatively recent conceptualization of the mobile application. I couldn't locate a study on how much time people actually spend on their phones for talking vs. using applications, but it would be fascinating to know.
The NFL is just intelligently jumping on the bandwagon and bringing their fans an experience. It is different for them than those who market a traditional commodity product though. Hmmmm....I think I just stumbled upon a good topic to explore in my last post. Stay tuned!
Sam, that's funny that the show the League incorporates Smack Talk from oovoo.com. I agree that we do have to be careful of the hate group mentality and I know there was hate before oovoo and before new media propelled sports as much as it does. But like you said and like we have been discussing in class the "hate" can become more propelled by the idea of just being online and being somewhat anonymous. I am glad you have had positive "Smack Talk" experiences. I think that there is always going to be some downside and some imperfection to using new media in every aspect. So I think fans need to know that when using "SmackTalk" like anything else online you are going to come across some "hateful" things. Is there a real way to stop it? No I don't think there is. And I think "Smack Talk" may be somewhat fueled by the hate, that some fans actually enjoy getting to vent. It's when it's carried into the "real" world that we have to be careful of what goes on.
ReplyDeleteAsh,
ReplyDeleteIt's scary that this "SmackTalk" can be propelled into the real world, isn't it? I'm often pretty off-put by anything more serious that just poking at one another in terms of smack talking, but it's when it comes into our real lives that it becomes a problem. And not that I've noted any experience like this yet, but like we've been saying to one another, there's a possibility that people rally in their small groups and form a bigger, more self-confident identity to do some real damage. Let's just hope most think the same way I do: it's purely for fun.