The land grab continues between FanDuel and DraftKings in finding ways to engage casual fans for daily fantasy. Until now, a great deal of that money went directly to ads and traditional marketing spends, along with some untraditional ones like Floyd Mayweather’s shorts and the saddle of American Pharoah. However with Fan Duel more committed to just two key properties in the US, the NBA and the NFL, we are starting to see larger and bolder activations to engage fans in market and build a core following.
With partner Horizon Media, FanDuel has started their market-by-market partnership extensions with NFL clubs, the first of which is with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Called “FanDuelVille at EverBank Field”: The Ultimate Home of Fantasy Football, the team and their partner have re-branded the north end zone deck at EverBank Field, home of the now-famous Smart Pharmacy Spas and cabanas. FanDuelVille will allow all fans at EverBank Field access to the space, which can comfortably hold 3,000 fans at once, with the ability to watch the live game experience from any area in FanDuelVille on the world’s largest video boards.
Once they enter FanDuelVille, fans at EverBank Field will have access to unique free daily fantasy football games and experiences, live fantasy football statistics and scoring updates. FanDuelVille will also give fans entry to the biggest and best party scene in professional sports, including multiple bars with signature cocktails, a live DJ and emcee, as well as significant promotional opportunities for fans to win all-inclusive premium hospitality experiences.
“We asked the question, ‘Where is fantasy football’s utopia?’ The undeniable answer was here at EverBank Field, with the perfect mix of live professional football, unparalleled entertainment, and one of the best fan experiences in the National Football League,” said Jaguars President Mark Lamping in a release. “FanDuel agreed and FanDuelVille was born.”
At the end of each Jaguars home game, FanDuelVille will become the “FanDuel 5th Quarter,” a post-game party to which all fans are invited to enjoy live music, afternoon and evening NFL football games, and interactive experiences with Jaguars personalities, Jaxson de Ville, and members of the ROAR of the Jaguars.
“As a Jaguars partner, we were ecstatic with the creativity the club showed in helping us find a true home for our product,” said FanDuel CEO Nigel Eccles added. “FanDuelVille exemplifies the type of entertainment experience we try to deliver to our customers on a daily basis and marries our signature product to create an unbeatable live experience.”
For a team constantly looking to make a splash under owner Shahid Khan (they have embraced London as a second home, launched a full social media experience lounge for fans and have tried other unique ways to engage in a very small market) the FanDuel kickoff this weekend is a smart one, and gives both the team and FD the opportunity to mix and match and see what can be adapted to the other activation platforms across the league that will be created in the coming months.
Several other winter sports teams will be launching smaller versions of “fantasy lounges” powered by companies like FanDuel and DraftKings in the coming months. The Barclays Center will even flip the signage form one DFS partner to another from Nets to Islanders games. However none will be on the massive scale the Jags will be trying, and if successful it will certainly be replicated and expanded going forward.
The next step in DFS marketing has arrived.
