Tag Archives: fantasy sports

Live-Action ‘Fantasy Football’ Film Gets Go-Ahead

Nickelodeon and Awesomeness Films today announced the production of new original live-action movie Fantasy Football, executive produced by The SpringHill Company (Space Jam: A New Legacy), the empowerment-led media conglomerate spearheaded by LeBron James and Maverick Carter and in partnership with wunderkind and creative mastermind Marsai Martin and Joshua Martin of Genius Entertainment (Little). In Fantasy Football, 15-year-old Carmen Coleman (Marsai Martin, Black-ish) discovers she can control her professional football player dad’s prowess on the field through her video game. Zoe Marshall (Charmed) is writing the Fantasy Football screenplay, based on an original screenplay by Richard T. Jones & Jeremy Loethen and Tim Ogletree. Marshall is represented by JR McGinnis at Felker Toczek Suddleson Abramson, Ashley Holland at WME and Adesuwa McCalla at MetaMorphic Entertainment. Spencer Beighley and Jamal Henderson of The SpringHill Company are executive producing along with Carol Martin for Genius Entertainment. Jamila Jordan-Theus will produce for Genius Entertainment as well. Production is set to begin in early 2022.

Additionally, Nickelodeon and Awesomeness Films announced production on Hush Hush, a film adaptation of the New York Times best-selling young adult (YA) novels by Becca Fitzpatrick. Hush Hush follows 16-year-old high school student Nora Grey, who befriends new student, Patch, and finds herself drawn to his brooding charm against her better judgment. As Nora starts seeking answers about who Patch really is, she unwittingly gets caught in the crosshairs of an ancient battle between fallen angels and the immortal — a struggle that comes to threaten her life and reveals a shocking secret about her own identity. The Hush Hush screenplay is being written by Monet Clayton (Every Note Played), with production slated for late 2021 in partnership with BCDF Pictures and Entertainment 360. Clayton is represented by ICM, Fourth Wall and attorney Sean Marks.

Both films, led by Nickelodeon and Awesomeness Films Studio head Syrinthia Studer, are scheduled to bow in 2022.

Fantasy Football and Hush Hush will debut on Paramount+, the streaming service for ViacomCBS, and follow the upcoming launch of The J Team, which premieres on Paramount+ on Sept. 3. The J Team marked the first production under the Nickelodeon and Awesomeness Live-Action Film Studio. 

Following on Awesomeness’s live-action movie successes including the smash-hit To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before film franchise, The Perfect Date, and Before I Fall, the combined studio is diving into the family and YA film market with a dozen titles lined up for 2022 and beyond.

“We are excited to team up with SpringHill and Awesomeness, two creative powerhouses aligned in the mission to celebrate dynamic stories and invoke inspiration within our audiences.  Collectively, we are companies that hold the family brand and themes at its core, so this felt like an incredible trifecta to bring Fantasy Football to life.  This film is a true reflection of our growing slate: championing new heroes, challenging social ‘norms,’ and showcasing the power of following your dreams,” stated Jamila Jordan-Theus, Head of Motion Picture for Genius Entertainment.  

Added Studer, “With the continuing growth of Nickelodeon and Awesomeness’s live-action film studio business, we are curating a slate of aspirational, heartfelt films for everyone. From the fantasy and romance themes found in Hush Hush, to the love of sport and family captured in Fantasy Football, we can’t wait to entertain audiences everywhere with new YA and family stories about what they already love.”

Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Company Unveils Cities, Team Names and Logos for the Hall Of Fantasy League

Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Company (“HOFV” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: HOFV, HOFVW), the only resort, entertainment and media company centered around the power of professional football, is excited to unveil the team locations, names and logos for the Hall Of Fantasy League (“HOFL”), the first national fantasy league that allows you to experience a fantasy team with a community of shared stakeholders. The 10 franchises that will comprise the HOFL include:

  1. Atlanta Hot Wings
  2. Boston Barflies
  3. Chicago Hogmollies
  4. Los Angeles Sidekicks
  5. New York Bodega Cats
  6. Ohio GOATS
  7. Philadelphia Powderkegs
  8. Seattle Haze
  9. Texas Y’allers
  10. Vegas Pocket Kings

Unlike traditional fantasy sports leagues where individuals pay an entry fee, manage their own teams and compete against friends over the course of a season, the HOFL reimagines fantasy entirely through a professional sports league structure and community-driven format. Utilizing the concept of staking, the HOFL’s model aggregates fan bases and large communities of fantasy players by unifying them as shared team stakeholders in a season-long national fantasy league. Each franchise will be managed by a dedicated front office consisting of prominent fantasy experts and will include high-profile personalities from the world of professional football as team ambassadors. Staking – making a financial contribution to cover a portion of a participant’s entry fee, and in return taking a percentage of the winnings – is made possible through HOFV’s previously announced partnership with StakeKings.

“Today is another very exciting day for our company and for the millions of fantasy football fans across the country,” said Michael Crawford, President and CEO of HOFV. “The HOFL will transcend the way people have traditionally participated in fantasy sports, allowing them to be part of a community that financially stakes a regional franchise to receive a percentage of any winnings and interacts with a dedicated front office consisting of top fantasy players. No other fantasy sports platform can offer its participants an experience like this over the course of a season. We look forward to the growth of the league and to each of our franchises becoming embedded in the sports cultures of their respective locations.” 

Starting today, sports fans and fantasy football enthusiasts throughout the country can purchase stakes in any of the HOFL’s franchises. Team stakeholders will be entitled to a portion of their teams’ winnings based on their entry amount, and will have access to exclusive content, communications and team governance features. This will provide opportunities for stakeholders to collaborate and engage with each other, as well as provide direct input on key roster moves with their franchises’ front office teams, which will be unveiled at a later date.

The HOFL leverages and replicates key aspects of pro sports leagues with its professional management of its franchises and merchandise/apparel with team branding. Beginning this morning, staking, the purchase of merchandise as well as high-quality content providing contextual coverage and analysis of the HOFL will be live, all of which can be found at www.thehofl.com. Participants can also stay engaged with the HOFL community year-round via the Hall Of Trivia, a live, weekly sports and fantasy-themed trivia show airing exclusively on the HQ Trivia app every Tuesday at 8 p.m. EDT. The show is hosted by sports broadcaster Jeff Eisenband, and features appearances by NFL legends as well as prominent sports and fantasy personalities.

“We are so excited to kick off a new era in fantasy sports by unveiling the locations, team names and logos of the HOFL,” said Mat Sposta, Senior Executive Consultant for HOFV. “In addition to transforming the way fantasy sports are played altogether, the HOFL solves one of the biggest pain points fantasy players are subjected to each year: the solitary fandom and lonely experience of managing a team by yourself. By financially backing one of the HOFL’s regional franchises, individuals become part of an immersive community with similar rooting interests and financial incentives.” 

In addition to announcing who will comprise the front office of each franchise over the coming weeks, HOFV will be launching the HOFL mobile app, which will serve as the league’s main platform. What’s more, HOFV plans to leverage its partnership with Dolphin Entertainment to offer fans opportunities to buy and sell NFTs associated with the HOFL’s unique gameplay, content and talent.

To learn more about the HOFL and stay updated on all league announcements (including signing up for its newsletter), visit www.thehofl.com or follow it on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram (@TheHOFLeague).

NBC Sports Boston, Strat-O-Matic Team Up For ‘What-If Wednesdays’ Simulated Content

Greater Boston has been the home of championships in each of the major sports in recent years, and nowhere are the fans of their local teams more fervent. Whether it’s the Red Sox, Patriots, Celtics or Bruins, “what if” scenarios—like, imagining if Tom Brady had remained as New England’s quarterback in 2020—have long been the subject of sports debates.

NBC Sports Boston, through a partnership with Strat-O-Matic, the market leader in sports simulation, will try to answer some of those questions by recreating and simulating great moments, games and seasons with a twist, during its “What If Wednesdays” program. The program will air every Wednesday as part of the NBC Sports Boston’s primetime lineup, Early Edition and Boston Sports Tonight. The content will also be available on www.NBCSportsBoston.com and on social platforms @NBCSBoston.

Today, audiences can watch a scenario in which Brady remained as quarterback as the 2020 Patriots played out their schedule. Was the record better? Did they make the playoffs with the all-time great at the helm at age 43? Using data and research provided by Strat-O-Matic, NBC Sports Boston will create content that answers interesting “What If” questions like this one on the past, present and future in Boston sports.

“The possibilities are endless with what we can simulate working with NBC Sports Boston,” said Adam Richman, Strat-O-Matic President. “The city’s rich tradition of sports and lively banter discussing their favorite teams and the wide breadth of coverage on the network makes it an ideal partnership.”

“We’re pleased to work with Strat-O-Matic to simulate many of the questions that local sports fans have had about our sports leagues and key players,” said Kevin Miller, VP of Content Creation and Strategy, NBC Sports Boston. “We are excited for our audiences to check out our new content where we’ll discuss how different results, trades and game results could’ve changed sports history as we know it.”

While MLB paused at the beginning of the 2020 season because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Strat-O-Matic simulated the season as it would have been played, with results published daily by dozens of media outlets. Strat-O-Matic also posted results of the shortened 60-game schedule and playoff seasons.

Rotoworld Relaunches As NBC Sports Edge

Rotoworld, the industry leader in fantasy sports information, has relaunched as NBC Sports EDGE with a new look and feel across its digital catalog and fantasy sports magazines.

Formerly Rotoworld.com, the new NBCSportsEDGE.com includes the up-to-date, around-the-clock news, injury reports, fantasy advice, and exclusive analysis that Rotoworld users are accustomed to. All Rotoworld magazines and draft guides will now carry the NBC Sports EDGE name as well.

Rotoworld shows and social media handles have also rebranded under NBC Sports EDGE. NBC Sports EDGE podcasts include fantasy football’s “A Good Football Show,” fantasy baseball’s “Circling the Bases,” and fantasy basketball’s “Roundball Stew.”

The NBC Sports EDGE Fantasy Baseball Draft Guide Magazine is available for purchase now, and the digital version goes on-sale tomorrow, Feb. 12, ahead of the 2021 MLB season. New York Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole serves as this year’s cover athlete. Click here for more details.

In 2020, Rotoworld, one of the internet’s highest-trafficked fantasy sports information sites, was nominated for seven Fantasy Sports Writers Associations awards, including two wins:

  • Player Notes Writer of the Year: Patrick Daugherty, 2020 winner
  • Best Football Podcast: Rotoworld Football Podcast (FSWA 2019 winner)
  • Best Long-Form Video: Rotoworld NFL Mock Draft Show
  • Bets Fantasy Podcast All/Multi-Sport: Rotoworld Fantasy Basketball Podcast
  • College Sports Writer of the Year: Eric Fronton, 2020 winner
  • Best Football Publication: Rotoworld Football Draft Guide Magazine (FSWA 2019 winner
  • Best Baseball Publication: Rotoworld Baseball Draft Guide Magazine

NBC Sports EDGE+ premium products include four available subscription tiers with an array of Draft, Season-long Fantasy, DFS, and Betting-focused tools. The plans, which are available for purchase now, include:

  • EDGE+ ROTO – Including draft and full-season tools, EDGE+ ROTO is available now annually for $3.99/month and features player profiles, rankings and projections, positional tiers, Start/Sit tool, custom scoring, and more.
  • EDGE+ PRO – Featuring all aspects of EDGE+ ROTO plus daily fantasy tools, the plan is available now annually for $7.99/month. Additional features include DFS optimizer, the all-new League Sync tool, customizable projections, and more.
  • EDGE+ MAX –EDGE+ MAX is available annually for $11.99/month and includes all aspects of EDGE+ PRO as well as the sports betting tools found in EDGE+ In addition to draft, season-long, and daily fantasy resources for football, baseball, basketball, and hockey, EDGE+ MAX includes betting tools for those four sports, plus college football and college basketball.
  • EDGE+ BET – With access to all the tools that help you sharpen your betting skills, EDGE+ BET includes the all-new EDGE Finder, top trends, and more. Betting tools include access to football, baseball, basketball, hockey, college football, and college basketball.

All plans include annual and monthly billing options. In addition to the subscription tiers, cheat sheets for all sports will continue to be free for all users with a Rotoworld account. For more information, go to NBCSportsEdge.com.

Diamond Anniversary For Strat-O-Matic As Sports Simulation Leader Celebrates 60th

Now sixty years after Hal Richman launched the first set of Strat-O-Matic (www.strat-o-matic.com) baseball cards, the market leader in sports simulation is set to celebrate its Diamond Anniversary (how appropriate!) with a full lineup of new items, including upgraded seasons, updated popular series including Hall of Fame and Negro League sets, and branded 60th Anniversary merchandise that longtime fans and newcomers alike will enjoy.

Strat-O-Matic, which has become legendary in the gaming industry and in sports, particularly in baseball, since Richman launched that initial set in 1961, will be upgrading the 1972 and 1956 seasons, two hugely popular years based on fan feedback, to Super Advanced status, for board and digital game play, as a highlight of new products for 2021.

The company is coming off a landmark year, which saw baseball board and Windows platform sales, game product sales, Baseball 365 sales and membership all saw steep increases. The 2020 Strat-O-Matic daily baseball season simulation also brought the company unprecedented attention from popular sports and entertainment personalities and media outlets. Basketball, football and hockey board, Windows, and 365 products also saw increases in sales and interest.

“It is hard to believe that it has been 60 years since we launched our first set of baseball cards,” said Richman, Strat-O-Matic founder. “This year’s offerings will be exciting for our fans, and I’m particularly pleased to be upgrading our first-ever ‘classic’ season of 1956, as it holds a special place for me.”

In addition to the classic baseball seasons, Strat-O-Matic will introduce numerous new products to commemorate the occasion. The popular Heroes series returns for a third edition, along with the 2021 Career Historical Update, Hall of Fame 2021 for Windows and three new Negro League seasons for Windows (1918, 1928 and 1943). 

And Strat-O-Matic enthusiasts can show their fandom even more and help celebrate the anniversary with hats, t-shirts bearing the new 60th logo and the classic red game box, available in limited quantities.

Pre-orders for these products, as well as the 60-game and imagined full 2020 season sets, will begin on January 26. The Strat-O-Matic Headquarters will be closed to the public, and while pick up will be available “curbside” beginning on March 5, the company strongly encourages ordering via the strat-o-matic.com website for delivery this year.

“While it’s disappointing to not have our annual Opening Day activities that thousands have enjoyed as tradition for years,” added Richman, “we hope that making available the new seasons and products that so many have been requesting will renew everyone’s excitement for the new year as they help us celebrate.”

Strat-O-Matic 365 Adds League Commissioner Feature For Baseball, Football Online Games

credit: Mike Morbeck

With live sports still on hold (though hopefully coming back soon!), fantasy leagues have been looking for ways to keep their members together, combining their love of baseball and football with the camaraderie that goes with participating with friends. And for the first time, the popular Baseball 365 and Football 365 products from Strat-O-Matic (www.strat-o-matic.com), the market leader in sports simulations, give commissioners the tools to manage leagues of recent and all-time great rosters, with games simulated daily, just like regular fantasy sports.

Commissioner league users can invite specific guests to compete, incorporate league settings, draft teams at any pace, and even fill out spots with computer-controlled “bot” teams. Players serve as GM and manager, setting lineups, pitching rotations and managing styles (baseball) or starters, schemes and tendencies (football) for a realistic fantasy experience.

Baseball 365 Commissioner leagues can choose from the 2019 season, a new “All-Time Greats 9” set of more than 5,300 cards, additional single-seasons of 1982, 1986, 1999, 2007 through  2018, or mystery card sets from every decade from the 1960s through the 1990s. Football featured cards include the 2018 season, as well as an All-Time Franchises set with greats dating all the way back to the 1940s.

“Many Strat-O-Matic players are also huge fantasy sports fans, and just like Strat-O-Matic leagues stay together for years, a lot of the fun of fantasy is playing with your friends” said John Garcia, Strat-O-Matic’s Director of Research and exec-in-charge of 365. “There’s nowhere else to go right now to buy out a fantasy league in baseball or football with your friends.”

“The Commissioner leagues combine the excitement and strategy of Baseball 365 and Football 365 with the convenience and control that keep leagues and friends together,” said Bernie Hou, Director of 365 for Strat-O-Matic.

Monkey Knife Fight Partners With San Diego Padres As Official Fantasy Sports Site

Monkey Knife Fight (MKF), the fastest growing gaming platform in North America, announced a new partnership with the San Diego Padres. As the Official Fantasy Sports Partner of the Padres, MKF will be prominently displayed on signage at Petco Park and on all the Padres’ social media outlets.

In addition to the partnership, Monkey Knife Fight has contributed $50,000 to The Padres Foundation. The foundation is focusing their efforts during this pandemic on food insecurity and support for frontline workers in addition to their other outreach initiatives supporting the San Diego community.

“The Padres are excited to partner with MKF to grow and expand their tremendous lineup of fantasy sports platforms,” said Erik Greupner, President of Business Operations for the Padres. “Their very generous donation to The Padres Foundation will also provide much needed resources to combat hunger in the San Diego community during these challenging times.”

Bill Asher, Founder and CEO of Monkey Knife Fight commented, “I am excited to see MKF in such a world class city and to be associated with a team that is so intertwined with the community. The Padres have made it a priority to take care of San Diego’s frontline workers and to help where needed. The foundation has demonstrated the Padres unwavering support for their players, fans, and community.”

Following a similar announcement earlier this month with the Milwaukee Brewers, this signifies a real commitment that MKF is making to Major League Baseball and its fans, especially within these two cities. The moves reinforce MKF’s belief that there is a large appetite among these baseball fan communities to play fantasy sports games that allow them to focus on their local home town teams and favorite players.

DRL, FanDuel Announce First-Ever Fantasy Sports Partnership

The Drone Racing League (DRL), the global, professional drone racing circuit, and FanDuel today announced a fantasy partnership for the 2020 DRL SIM Tryouts Finals, the world’s only player-to-pilot esports tournament. As DRL’s first-ever partnership with a fantasy sports provider, FanDuel will have access to official DRL SIM data, along with league marks and logos to create official daily fantasy contests for the 2020 DRL SIM Tryouts Finals.

The virtual drone racing showdown live-streams tonight at 9pm ET on DRL’sTwitter,Twitch andYouTube. Thousands of FPV (First Person View) pilot hopefuls from 75 countries entered the fourth annual DRL SIM Tryouts, battling it out across more than 136,000 heats during twelve qualifying tournaments on the DRL Simulator, the true-to-life drone racing sim on Steam — all for the chance to compete tonight and go pro. Tryouts participation skyrocketed by 90% since last year and nearly 2 million fans have already watched the online competitions.

Fans tuning into the 2020 DRL SIM Tryouts Finals can enter a free contest on FanDuel for the chance to win a share of $3,000 in FanDuel site credit. The contest follows FanDuel’s standard daily fantasy format, and racers will earn points for winning, finishing second or finishing third in each heat as they navigate virtual DRL drones on a supercharged, 3D track. The champion will earn a professional contract in the league and fly as the DRL SIM Pilot in the 2020 DRL Allianz World Championship Season, as watched by tens of millions of fans on NBC, Twitter, Sky and other leading sports networks around the world.

“At a time when fans want access to sports competition more than ever, we’re thrilled to live stream the 2020 DRL SIM Tryouts, a unique esport that transforms gamers into pro drone pilots overnight, and reward fans with prizes through our exciting new partnership with FanDuel,” said DRL CEO and Founder, Nicholas Horbaczewski.

“We remain as committed as ever to our fans and we’re currently working to develop new and entertaining games for them to engage with,” said Kip Levin, President, FanDuel. “Partnering up with The Drone Racing League allows us to collaborate with an innovative league as we give our fantasy customers more ways to play.”

Merging the virtual with the real, the Tryouts winner will race against the most elite pilots on earth during the 2020 Season, flying custom-built DRL Racer4 drones at 90 MPH through complex courses in iconic venues around the world. Last year, Minnesota native, Christopher “Phluxy” Spangler, was crowned the Tryouts winner and flew in DRL; he made podium three times and even won a level event, showcasing how DRL bridges the digital with the real.

‘YourZone’ Looks To Be The ‘RedZone’ For All Sports

Looking to follow the huge success of the NFL RedZone channel, which has revolutionized how many fans watch football, OmniView Sports introduced its “YourZone” app, which it claims will “provide real-time, personalized notifications and alerts as well as automated channel tuning to match your preferences (favorite teams, players).”

Fantasy and gaming are two natural uses for such a service, with league scoreboard and Vegas odds from major sportsbooks presented on screen.

OmniView notes on its Website that YourZone will launch soon.

From the OmniView announcement:

The YourZone app uses patented technology to process real-time data to determine excitement levels surrounding a game, you’ll now watch every exciting moment in the sports world LIVE! The YourZone app and GameChangr technology guarantees this personalized sports viewing experience – automatically or with the touch of a button on the app, GameChangr tunes your television to what you can’t and don’t want to miss!

Report: Fantasy Sports Market To Reach More Than $1.5 Billion By 2024

Credit: Keith Allison

The fantasy sports market size is expected to reach more than $1.5 billion by 2024, growing at a CAGR of more than11% during 2018–2024.

Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05806366/?utm_source=PRN

Increasing strategic collaborations and partnerships with diverse stakeholders, growing advertising and marketing spend, and rising interest of millennial are the major factors responsible for the increased growth of the fantasy sports market.
A major factor driving the growth of the fantasy sports business is the rise in the number of sporting events organized worldwide. The urge to participate in a sport event rather than view it has raised the bar of the market significantly. Technological advancements, coupled with the availability of streaming partners, are further driving the fantasy sports market.

The growing popularity of OTT platforms is expected to augur well for the fantasy sport segment. The OTT sports experience is set to observe innovation, which is mainly driven by fantasy sport business. Fantasy sport and OTT platforms have become an apt match for the overall entertainment business. With the growth in streaming service providers and digitalization, fantasy sport is expected to receive a major boost.

This research report on the fantasy sports market covers market sizing and forecast, market share, industry trends, growth drivers, and vendor analysis. The market study includes insights on segmentation by sports (football, soccer, basketball, baseball, hockey, golf, cricket, and other fantasy sports), gender (male and female), and geography (North America, APAC, Europe, Latin America, and MEA).

The study considers the present scenario of the fantasy sports market and its market dynamics for the period 2018?2024. It covers a detailed overview of several market growth enablers, restraints, and trends. The study covers both the demand and supply sides of the market. It also profiles and examines leading companies and other prominent companies operating in the market.

Fantasy Sports Market: Segmentation

This market research report includes a detailed segmentation of the market by sports, gender, and geography. The worldwide popularity of football is a major reason for the highest share of the fantasy football segment. The segment captured around half of the fantasy sports market in 2018. The extensive fan engagement is another a major factor that is driving the fantasy football market segment. Strategic partnerships and the launch of supporting products across fantasy platforms have raised the standards of fantasy basketball in major playing countries.

As men have historically been receptive to sports and outdoor games, the male segment accounts for the highest share in the fantasy sports market by gender. However, over the last few years, the female population in fantasy sport has witnessed a reasonable surge. The growing number of women-centric sports events and the increasing awareness about games among womenfolk are the factors boosting market growth of female sports segment.

FCFL Announces Tyson As Newest Team Owner/Fan Captain

Today, the Fan-Controlled Football League (FCFL), the only professional football league where fans call the shots, including the plays themselves in real-time, announced legendary boxing champion Mike Tyson as the seventh Team Owner | Fan Captain to join the Owner’s Box. In addition to calling on fans to shape his team’s destiny – from name selection, serving as the final call on team uniforms, to drafting the players – Tyson brings his passion for sports and trash-talking skills to the league. Once the inaugural season kicks off, fans will find Tyson live commentating throughout games via Twitch, where they will have the unprecedented opportunity to engage with The Champ in a way never before seen in the history of professional sports.

“I’m fired up about joining the FCFL as its newest Team Owner and Fan Captain, and even more so to demolishing the competition,” states Tyson when asked about what he’s looking forward to accomplishing in the FCFL. “Leading into opening day, I’ll be engaging with fans from across the globe to stoke excitement and participation in the development of the Baddest League on the Planet.”

Tyson joins a talented group of global influencers spanning the world of sports and entertainment, all of whom share one common factor – a fervidness for professional football. To date the FCFL has announced six FCFL fan captains, all of whom are Tyson’s ‘competition’ (if you can call them that), including Marshawn Lynch, Richard Sherman, Prince Royce, Kinda Funny, Bobby Bones, and Chad ‘Ochocinco’’ Johnson.

Mike Tyson (credit: Ed Webster)

An undisputed heavyweight boxing champion and international entertainer known for his ‘take no prisoners’ approach, Tyson is also a serial entrepreneur; recent projects include a cannabis company called Tyson Ranch and a new podcast, HotBoxin, of which he produces and hosts.

“We are reinventing the sport of football for the digital age and a cultural phenomenon like Iron Mike could not be a better fit for this league. We are impossibly excited for him to bring his unparalleled energy, legendary smack talk, and unrivaled will to win to the FCFL,” shares Patrick Dees, FCFL co-founder and Chief Gaming Officer. “Tyson is a total badass and there is zero doubt in my mind that his team is going to be a force to be reckoned with and I for one, cannot wait to watch him stream his games on Twitch.”

The FCFL is the first professional sports league to combine the passion of live sports, the competitiveness of fantasy sports, the interactivity of video games, and the global reach of esports all into a live-streamed, real-life experience created for the digitally native fan.

Fans will create their team’s brand, hire (and fire, if necessary) a coaching staff, build roster through live fan-run draft, and call all their team’s plays in real-time. Games will be a seven-on-seven competition on a 50-yard field in a state-of-the-art production studio, creating a fast-paced, open style of play conducive to an action-packed sixty minutes of football. All games will be live streamed on Amazon’s Twitch, the world’s leading social video service and community for gamers and eSports. Using a brand new, unprecedented Twitch Extension, fans will get to use an interactive overlay that allows them to call the plays natively on top of the Twitch player.

To kick this announcement off the FCFL with WAX have partnered to give back to the fans who can enter to win one of three prizes anyone would be lucky to win: a pair of boxing gloves, a pair of boxing shoes, or a football – all of which are complete with Tyson’s autograph.

Fulltime Fantasy Sports Network Acquires FantasySP.com

Fulltime Fantasy Sports who owns and operates the Fantasy Football World Championships in Las Vegas is acquiring https://www.fantasysp.com. Fantasy SP covers all major sports and builds industry leading apps and tools such as the Fantasy Assistant, Draft Genius and Team Analyzer. Brant Tedeschi sold to Fulltime and joined the Fulltime team as technical director and managing partner.

Fantasy SP has already built a mock draft simulator which is powering Fulltime’s Mock Draft World Championship, A FSTA award winning contest which allows users to mock draft on demand and enter the drafted team in a free to play bestball contest for thousands in cash and prizes. Just visit www.mockdraftnow.com.

“Fulltime stands out in the fantasy industry, and I’m excited to join the network,” says Fulltime Fantasy Sports Technical Director and Managing Partner Brant Tedeschi, “Looking forward to taking things to the next level.”

“We are thrilled to acquire FantasySP.com,” says Fulltime Fantasy Sports owner Ian Ritchie, “This is another giant step in the right direction for Fulltime Fantasy Sports Network.”

“Our community is about to get a big upgrade in overall user experience,” says Fulltime Sports co-owner Scott Atkins, “The tools and technology enhancements that Fantasy SP brings to the table truly makes Fulltime a one stop shop for everything a fantasy player needs to win.”

FantasySpin, STATS Extend Player Projections Partnership

STATS, the revolutionary leader in sports AI, announced today the extension of work with FantasySpin, a patented fantasy sports game, to provide player-specific projections and game data to the platform.

Credit: Wikimedia Commons/Kelly Bailey

FantasySpin offers a unique fantasy application, allowing users to create a lineup with a “spin” or “spins,” rather than drafting, bringing luck and strategy to who a user will pick. By extending with STATS, FantasySpin customers can connect with the latest scores, while using STATS’ fantasy projections to make an educated decision on how a player is expected to perform. The agreement extends a longstanding partnership between FantasySpin and STATS, which includes data and projections for NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL games.

“Fantasy games have become a major part of the second-screen experience for sports fans, and FantasySpin offers a unique competition through random spin and skilled drawing,” said Steve Xeller, Chief Revenue Officer at STATS. “STATS continues to invest in the latest artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies to scour through our immense database faster, making fantasy predictions more accurate. We couldn’t be more thrilled to extend our agreement with FantasySpin.”

FantasySpin has already begun development of a new PGA golf fantasy game using STATS’ data. As part of the agreement, FantasySpin and STATS will explore expanding their offerings into even more leagues.

“As a fantasy sports app, we want to connect with all ranges of fantasy players—from daily fantasy sports experts, to novices,” said Steve “Dakota” Happas, CEO and Co-Founder of FantasySpin. “By using STATS data, we can connect our users with all the games going on and provide updates on how their players are performing. The player projections make this a true game-changer, allowing fans to pick their team based on AI-driven suggestions.”

Fans looking to test their luck and fantasy skill can download the FantasySpin app in the Apple Store, Google Play, or at https://www.fantasyspin.com/.