Fantasy football games have been a popular part of sporting entertainment for decades. What started as a way to make the game watchable for fans of any team has become a worldwide phenomenon.
It was in 1962 when Bob Winkenbach had the idea to create a game based on picking players from any team and then adding up their scores at the end of the tournament. Today, that essential idea remains the same, but now it uses the latest technology to bring players into the heart of the action.
It has been estimated that around 40 million people play fantasy football in the US alone. Other parts of the world are also rapidly joining in with the entertainment. Technology is integral to the competition, making it easier to play and make the most of any contest.
The Tech behind Fantasy Football
1997 marked a turning point in fantasy football. That was the year that the game went truly online with CBS offering a proper platform to play on. Free sites also emerged that year, with Yahoo bringing further scope to the game.
Previously, players would score in the same way as Winkenbach and his friends did in the 1960s. They would record results manually and add up the scores themselves.
The rise of online fantasy football play led to automatic scoring by the online sites, reducing the need for players to monitor results and record results by hand. This has helped to make the game a lot more exciting and convenient to play.
Online access to statistics and match reports has also made the game easier to manage. While players used to have to rely on newspaper or TV reports on how games went, they now have reams of data available for every possible aspect of the sport.
There are even Artificial Intelligence programs working on some of the platforms to aid players with how to form their fantasy teams. The technology can analyze all the available data on every player in the NFL and give recommendations on who to pick come draft day. Clearly, the game has come a long way in a few decades.
This has made the competitions run extremely efficiently. People taking part can be assured that all the possible results and computations are dealt with securely and properly.
A Worldwide Contest
Online technology has also opened up fantasy football internationally. People in other countries with less exposure to the NFL than Americans can get fully involved online.
This has made the competition increase in popularity as online sites offer all the benefits of up-to-date information and scoring. No longer do players need to do their own independent research on what players are doing well and the likelihood of one team beating another.
Today fantasy football players all over the world can easily find out the most recent information on team news, injuries and transfers that will have an impact on their gameplay.
This, plus the best sites to find match highlights and player reports has made the appeal of the game even wider.
Social media and smartphones have also been a major game-changer. There are now apps where players can control and view each part of their gaming experience. Mobile technology has increased the whole pace of the game to unprecedented levels.
News updates can be delivered almost instantly. For example, if a team’s player gets hurt during training and will be unavailable for the next match, gamers can act on it straight away.
Technology and Fantasy Football
Technology has changed sport everywhere. The internet and online technology are a big part of this. But so too is motion capture technology to uncover the progress of gameplay during a match. Whereas in days gone by, coaching staff would have to rely on videotapes of matches to view, today everything can be compressed and available whenever needed.
Fans also benefit from this technology, with broadcasters bringing fans the matches they want to watch wherever they happen to be. As well as live games, past matches can also be accessed. This can help fantasy football coaches decide on the best players to ick and the right kind of strategy to employ.
The business of technology also mirrors the competitive nature of fantasy football. Both rely on the need to stay ahead of the constant changes on the field of play. Communication and the means to access the latest statistics and information are vital to staying ahead.
The latest technology has in this way made us all part of the game. Fantasy football coaches are now closer to their real-life sporting counterparts than ever before.