New study helps marketers draw plays that score with fantasy football fanatics
We kinda knew football fans are crazy—er, passionate and engaged---but this survey stat still surprises: More than 25% of males 18-34 said they'd consider giving up sex for a year if it meant their team would win the 
title.1 (Way not to take one for the team!)
That mind-boggling obsession spills over to fantasy football too, where Yahoo! Fantasy Football has been the undisputed champ for 15 years and boasted a roster of more than 5.4 million registered users last season.2 That's a lot of football widows and unmowed lawns. Sorry.
To stay number one, we've added new features that will stick fans to our game tighter than a shut-down corner on a trash-talking receiver, including pro leagues where fans can win up to $500 and enhanced management of teams across mobile, tablet and ConnectedTV devices.
All-star advertisers
We've also signed some all-star advertisers who are sponsoring branded experiences that will make fantasy football fanatics eternally grateful:
- Citi's Fantasy Football Draft Central helps players craft their draft strategy
- Snickers will deliver personalized messages to hungry players on our site's "Match Ups" pages using Yahoo! Smart Ads technology
- Toyota stars as our exclusive automotive sponsor, presenting custom content such as the "Toyota Hall of Fame" and "Pickups of the Week"
- Miller Lite comes back as our exclusive beer sponsor, presenting live drafts, draft content, personalized articles, irreverent videos starring fantasy football fans, and more
- Visa returns to help out metric-mad team managers by sponsoring the Fantasy Football Stat Tracker tool, along with branded mobile and tablet content
Our study helps you with the Xs and Os
It's obvious that Yahoo! Fantasy Football users are an insanely engaged audience---but when, where and what are the best ways for marketers to reach them? Here are some highlights from our recent study into the habits and preferences of Yahoo! Fantasy Football team owners.
Player profiles:
- Of Yahoo! users who play fantasy football, 73% use Yahoo!'s own Fantasy Football league3
- 49% are in more than one league
- 82% of Yahoo! fantasy football players are male; 55% are ages 35-54
- 18% are female; 66% are ages 18-34
Your strategy play: Female-focused brands have a great opportunity to reach young women in a new place and in a new way
Player tendencies:
- Game days drive logins and time spent: 34% log in five-plus times
- 50% of players in bars log in five-plus times on game day; as do 21% of home users
- During the week, PC usage declines and mobile spikes on game day
Your strategy play: Reach players in multiple ways during the week---sponsor the League Ladder on Tuesdays, go heavier on mobile on game days.
Player mindset:
- Yahoo! Fantasy Football beats industry norms for ad recall
- 41% ad recall on Sunday game days vs. 31% norm
- Men have strong recall---40% on any given day
Your strategy play: Embed brand messaging inside of favorite player activities, like scores, waivers and match-ups.
Okay, huddle up. We've got a couple of great advertising opportunities still available, like the Fantasy Football Decision Maker Tool and the Season Long Expert Editorial package that features the top talent in the industry with award-winning writers.
If you want to leverage the deep passion and engagement of Yahoo! Fantasy Football's millions of users, tackle your Yahoo! sales representative. Ready, break!
1—Source: NFL & Football Survey, Yahoo! Consumer Pulse, October 2011
2—Source: Yahoo! Internal Registration Metrics, 2011
3—Source: Yahoo! Yodelers Consumer Panel, December 2011
