The crowned champion won $100,000 cash, the second-place winner won $25,000 and the third-place winner won $10,000.Photo: Courtesy of Yahoo
Want more content like this sent directly to your inbox? Then sign up for our brand-new BizBash Experiential monthly newsletter to stay in the know on the coolest, most creative ideas for engaging consumers and attendees!
NATIONAL HARBOR, M.D.—The LA Rams might have just won the big game, but back in December, a group of fantasy football players faced off on the digital gridiron to earn bragging rights and big bucks.
Last fall, fantasy football players competed in the inaugural Yahoo Fantasy Football Championship, a 10-week contest that culminated in an in-person event that was held at the MGM National Harbor resort, located just outside Washington, D.C., in mid-December.
“Fantasy sports is all about community and passion, and I can’t think of many other more passionate fantasy fanatics than Yahoo Fantasy Football fans,” explained Charlie Eder, senior director and head of events and experiential marketing at Yahoo. “So it was an obvious choice to incentivize the experience, put some real money on the line and get passionate fans together in one space, giving away a prize pool of $200,000 at the live event."
Eder added, "Also, it’s become quite competitive in the gaming landscape, so getting fans together around a shared experience drives growth and brand awareness. We were able to translate our community experience online to an offline setting, allowing us the privilege of serving our community with a holistic fan experience.”
Over the course of the 10-week competition, which began in September 2021, 60 winners were chosen, each of whom earned a trip for two to the MGM National Harbor to compete in the live finals. The finalists received accommodations at the property, roundtrip airfare for two and $500 in resort credits. (All attendees, staff and key vendors were required to show proof of full vaccination and take an on-site COVID test upon arrival at the event.)
Eder noted that the event was a natural extension of Yahoo’s partnership with BetMGM. In 2019, Yahoo Sports entered into a multiyear partnership with the online sportsbook, making Yahoo Sports the official Digital Media Sports Partner of MGM Resorts.
The crowned champion won $100,000 cash, the second-place winner won $25,000 and the third-place winner won $10,000. The top three winners also took home custom trophies. In addition, Yahoo made a donation to the Vernon Davis Foundation, which aims to service children from disadvantaged backgrounds and inspire young leaders, and to Torrey Smith’s charity, LEVEL82, which seeks to leverage the power of community collaboration to enable Baltimore families to reach their full potential.
The global fantasy sports market is expected to reach $38.60 billion in 2025, and as sportsbook betting laws relax across many states, the industry is expected to grow even more. The event expanded upon Yahoo’s efforts to foster a sense of community in the fantasy space with a live event experience.
“Yahoo Sports was one of the first fantasy offerings and has built a tremendous community of fantasy fans over the past 20 years,” Eder said. “The fantasy consumer is all about community. It’s one of the rare shared experiences as fans we still do together—either virtually or, more often than you’d think, in person. Plus, there are a lot of options out there for consumers and we think at Yahoo we have the best offering, so why not share that?”
Eder said that his team is already working with the brand’s partners to plan the 2022 event, adding that, “as a result of the success of this inaugural event, coupled with the amazing feedback from the 2021 participants, the team is even discussing an added experience for Yahoo Fantasy Baseball consumers as well.”
VENDORS
Custom Event Swag: Whitestone Branding
Custom Winner Jerseys: Fanatics
Event Decor and Design Support: Hargrove
Event Website and Registration Site: Virtual Event Site
On-site COVID Testing and COVID Compliance Officer: Paradocs
Swag: TrophySmack
Travel and Prize Fulfillment: GMR Marketing
Trophy Design and Fabrication: Faeth Gruppe
Venue: MGM National Harbor
See more from inside the event below.
