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Fantasy sports is a fantasy game where fans can create fantasy teams from professional athletes and compete against other fantasy owners for prizes.
Fantasy sports has been around since the 1960s, but it's grown exponentially over the last decade to become a multi-billion dollar industry.
In this article, we'll talk about how big fantasy sports actually is, what you need to know before playing, and some of the latest trends in fantasy football that are changing how people play today.
Fantasy Sports is a Form of Online Gaming
The history of fantasy sports goes back to the days before fantasy sports we know today.
In 1962, a student at the University of Illinois created a game called “Professional Sports Selections” where fans would predict how teams would perform and score points based on those predictions.
The idea was that any fan could have an impact on their team's success so they should be rewarded for it – which is what fantasy sports does today.
Fantasy sports blew up in the mid-90s and has been a part of American culture ever since. The fantasy sports industry is worth $7 billion USD annually, with over 57 million people playing fantasy football alone in 2017 – that's roughly 15% of all Americans who play fantasy sports!
The internet has changed fantasy sports, making it easier to play and manage teams.
There are now more than 30 fantasy football platforms that you can sign up for online through your favorite fantasy sports website or app.
That's not even counting the individual fantasy websites of professional leagues like Yahoo! Sports Fantasy Football and ESPN Fantasy Football.
The Fantasy Sports Industry is Worth $7 Billion
The fantasy sports industry is now worth $7 billion. That's a lot of money! The industry is expected to keep growing as well.
There are many platforms you can sign up for fantasy sports on. There are fantasy websites of professional leagues like Yahoo! Sports Fantasy Football and ESPN fantasy football, as well as fantasy sports websites and fantasy applications on your phone.
There are also plenty of services that fantasy players can get before, during, and after participating in fantasy sports. Fantasy sports services range from fantasy hosting websites like FanDuel to fantasy football news sites like fantasypros.com to fantasy sports betting websites like DraftKings and FanDuel – the fantasy industry is much bigger than you think!
There Are Over 57 million People Playing Fantasy Football in the US Alone
Last year fantasy football had a total of 57 million players in the United States. That's almost half of all fantasy sports players – and that number is expected to grow even larger this season.
Fantasy football is the most popular fantasy sport in the US, but it's not the only fantasy game. Fantasy baseball, fantasy hockey, fantasy basketball, and fantasy NASCAR are also popular.
Worldwide, fantasy football isn't as big. In Europe, fantasy soccer (fantasy football) is growing in popularity with fantasy managers (players) totaling about 15 million fantasy soccer players.
Every year, fantasy sports is growing – fantasy websites and fantasy sports applications are now accessible on all devices, making fantasy football games easier to play than ever before.
90% Of Those Who Play Do So For Free and 10% Pay To Play
One of the great things about fantasy sports is that 90% of people who play fantasy football do it for free. The other 10% typically pay an entry fee to compete in fantasy betting games (where winners win cash rather than prizes).
While most of the players are playing for free, there's still a lot of money in fantasy sports. There's a lot of money to be made by fantasy sites and fantasy applications because there are millions of fantasy football players who want fantasy hosting services and fantasy news.
Fantasy sports is a way for you to have an impact on the success of your favorite NFL team – without having to be an expert on fantasy football. It doesn't matter how much you know about fantasy sports, anyone can play and have fun.
The fantasy industry is growing and changing all the time – fantasy sports won't be going away anytime soon!
Every Year There's a New Trend That Changes the Game
In fantasy sports, there are always new trends that come up and make the game even more exciting to play. For example, last year daily fantasy sports games became very popular. Daily fantasy sports is a new twist on fantasy football that allows fans to participate in fantasy betting for just one day at a time rather than throughout the whole season.
This year, another new trend has emerged with fantasy soccer becoming more and more common – especially among millennials who are looking for an entertaining way to show support for their favorite soccer players.
What's going to be popular next year? No one knows. Anything's possible in fantasy sports!
Conclusion
The fantasy sports industry is worth $7 billion and there are over 57 million people playing in the US. It's not just for nerds anymore; it seems like everyone knows someone who plays (or at least has played) a game of football against their friends.
Fantasy sports may be an old concept but every year there's always something new to try or change about how we play it – last year was daily games and this year salary cap leagues have taken off as well. Stay tuned for more trends on what you can do with your team next season!
