The Fantasy Sport Industry: Games within Games (Routledge Research in Sport, Culture and Society) - Hardcover

Billings, Andrew; Ruihley, Brody

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0415525187 ISBN 13: 9780415525183

Publisher: Routledge, 2013

Synopsis

Fantasy sport has become big business. Recent estimates suggest that there as many as 33 million fantasy sport participants in the US alone, spending $3bn annually, with many millions more around the world. This is the first in-depth study of fantasy sport as a cultural and social phenomenon and a significant and growing component of the contemporary sports economy.

This book presents an overview of the history of fantasy sport and its close connection to innovations in sports media. Drawing on extensive empirical research, it offers an analysis of the demographics of fantasy sport, the motivations of fantasy sport players and their significance as heavy consumers of sport media and as ultra-fans. It also draws cross-cultural comparisons between fantasy sport players in the US, UK, Europe and beyond.

The Fantasy Sport Industry examines the key commercial and media stakeholders in the production and development of fantasy sport, and points to new directions for the fantasy sport industry within modern sport business. It is therefore, fascinating reading for any student, scholar or professional with an interest in sports media, sports business, fandom, the relationship between sport and society, or cultural studies.

About this title

Review:

"...the book is an important contribution to sport media, marketing, and management. Overall, anyone interested in learning more about the nature and make-up of the fantasy industry will find this book rewarding." – idrottsforum.org, Scandinavian Sport Studies Forum

"Overall, I commend the authors for developing a book primarily about the fantasy-sport industry. With the growth of this industry, this book is a necessary addition for the sport communication and management field. It could be used as a supplemental text for an upper level digital-media course or sport-marketing course. The book is well organized and each chapter builds on previous chapters. It does a superb job of explaining who the participants are and segmenting the various populations that partake in fantasy sports. (...) If you are interested in understanding all facets of the fantasy-sport industry, this book will provide that insight." - Matthew Blaszka, Indiana State University, USA

About the Author:

Andrew C. Billings is the Ronald Reagan Chair of Broadcasting and Director of the Alabama Program in Sports Communication in the Department of Telecommunication and Film at the University of Alabama. He is the author/editor of nine books including Olympic Media: Inside the Biggest Show on Television (Routledge, 2008).

Brody J. Ruihley is an Assistant Professor of Sport Administration in the School of Human Services at the University of Cincinnati. His primary research is in the areas of fantasy sport and public relations in sport.

About this edition

• Publisher: Routledge
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 0415525187
• ISBN 13: 9780415525183
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 176