The impact of fantasy sports on television viewership

This article analyzes the impact of playing fantasy sports on the television viewership of the National Football League and of Major League Baseball. Using survey data from the ESPN Sports Poll, this study found evidence suggesting that fantasy sports participation leads to an increase in the number of games watched on television and, therefore, acts as a complement to televised sporting events. The greater demand for televised sports should arguably increase the value of advertising spots and, therefore, lead to a greater potential for cross-marketing across the 2 media of television and the Internet.