Marketers see winner in fantasy football
— -- Some marketers dreaming of more revenue are gambling on the fantasy-football phenomenon.
The fantasy game offers a chance to tap into a committed audience: More than 27.7 million U.S. players spend up to nine hours a week planning and plotting their strategies for weekly matchups in 70 million free and paid leagues (the average player belongs to 2.5 leagues).
Players create season-long dream teams of real players. Weekly fantasy victories are based on those players' combined individual statistics in the real world that week.
The fanaticism adds up to a hardcore audience for advertisers and ad revenue for big online hosting sites, such as the NFL and CBS.
"For advertisers, these are highly dedicated, highly committed players with very, very attentive engagement," says Paul Charchian, president at Fantasy Sports Trade Association.
Perhaps too committed. Time spent playing is the top reason fantasy players are likely to stop, according to a study by FSTA.
Charchian says that despite the economy, the number of players in 2009 will equal last year's. The bulk of players are in free leagues; 95% of paid leagues cost less than $250.
"It's extremely cost-effective entertainment, and it remains an important part of the social networking for men," he says. "They will find other things to scrimp on first."
That's why Best Buy, Snickers, Ford Motor and Coors Light are betting on fantasy:
•Best Buy. The electronics retailer will offer a less-time-intensive way to play. A 17-week promotion lets people pick a new team each week and play against a featured celebrity to win chances in a sweepstakes. The game begins Thursday, when players can pick a team at www.bestbuyfantasy.com and submit a lineup to play against Reba McEntire. Players earn sweepstakes entries equal to the points by which they beat her. There are weekly prizes, and the grand prize is a $5,700 package including a high-def TV, Ibanez guitar and Microsoft Xbox 360.
"The way people consume media has changed," says Tim Young, senior marketing manager. "This is another way to become engaged with our consumer and be part of their weekly life."
•Snickers. The candy will sponsor an iPhone app with score updates in its second season with CBS fantasy football. "The game generates awareness, draws people to our website and influences purchases," says Ryan Bowling, Masterfoods spokesman.
•Ford. The automaker will tout its F-150 pickup, Mustang and new Taurus in its first foray into fantasy, also with CBS. "It's a great audience, and it resonates well with people that are passionate about their cars," says Alex Hultgren, digital media manager of marketing operations.
"We are able to grow our revenue year over year," says Rich Calacci, senior vice president of sales at CBSSports.com, which brought in Ford when General Motors dropped out. Part of fantasy's appeal, he says, is that advertisers know it themselves. "All of our clients are people who have grown up playing and are now in senior-management-level marketing."
The fantasy interest also has been good for small businesses, however.
Ed Reichow, who owns Titlecraft in Minneapolis, is in his second season making trophies for fantasy leagues. Last year, he sold about 70 priced at about $500. This year, he has expanded with offerings from $130 to $800 and expects to sell several hundred online at www.theultimatetrophy.com.
"The response has been great," he says.
Hearing voices?
Q: I enjoy the Miller Lite commercials with the classic sporting event voice-overs playing as the beer is poured. I recognize two: the announcers for the football "Music City Miracle" and golf announcer Verne Lundquist. However, I believe that the hockey one is a dramatization with a fake Dick Enberg "Oh, my" thrown in at the end. Am I mistaken? And if I am correct, is it not a little disingenuous to use a fake one along with the two real classic moments?
—Rui Barreto, Chicago
A: You know your sports, Rui, but it is the real Dick Enberg, along with the real Verne Lundquist.
Their "classic moments," however, were created just for the ads (by Draftfcb, Chicago).
"We hired Verne Lundquist and Dick Enberg to deliver some of their signature lines choreographed to an amazing, unique beer pour meant to mimic actions from the sports," says Julian Green, a spokesman for Miller.
The Music City Miracle, however, is the real deal, with announcers Pat Ryan and Mike Keith voicing the classic NFL moment. Miller licensed footage of the Tennessee Titans last-second win over the Buffalo Bills in the AFC wild card playoff game in 2000.