SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(Marketwired - Sep 11, 2015) - RhythmOne ("1R"), a media technology company that connects audiences with brands through premium content across devices, announced the results of its Q3 Fantasy Sports Study, conducted by its internal research arm -- 1R Insights. The online study of 633 U.S. based respondents, conducted between August 7 and September 3, 2015, revealed an audience that is notably engaged, cross-generational and active during all sporting seasons of the year, representing an expanded opportunity for cross-channel marketers in a range of industry sectors. The sample was weighted to be representative of the U.S. population based on age and gender.
The Findings
As football season commences, advertisers and marketers in particular categories are increasingly focused on the sports enthusiast. The world of Fantasy Sports is an emerging gateway to this expanding digital audience. The 1R study showed that what was once a singular demographic, consisting of young men checking stats at work on their desktop during the day, is now a diverse segment -- with women and multiple generations partaking. The expanded audience is connecting across devices during all parts of the day, throughout all sporting seasons of the year. Select findings include:
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The Fantasy Sports enthusiast audience is extraordinarily engaged -- with a majority of participants checking on their teams at least once per day. Fans who self-identify as "devoted" fantasy sports fans are hyper-engaged with 20% going online to check their teams at least 10X per day.
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Play has expanded to all sports seasons, and is not limited to football -- baseball, hockey and wrestling top the charts after football.
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This environment now extends beyond the workday, with participants checking at home during family time, at night and on all devices.
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Participants are multi-device users, engaging with content via a cross-screen experience. Devices include laptops, smartphones, gaming devices, connected TVs and tablets.
A Closer Look at the Audience Shift
Traditionally, men have been the main participants in Fantasy Sports and this remains true, as men are more likely than women to participate in Fantasy Sports leagues, 22.8% vs. 5.7%, respectively. Among men, the most active Fantasy Sports league segments are respondents aged 35-44 years (35.7% participate) and 25-34 years (33.3% participate). But the gaps are closing, especially among new players. Here, women are increasingly leveling the playing field in Fantasy Sports league participation. Whereas nine-out-of-ten (89.7%) participants who have been playing Fantasy Sports for a year or more are men -- among new players, in their "first season," nearly half (47.3%) are women.