Fantasy Sports Demographic Information
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Numbers At A Glance
Fantasy sports players are younger, better educated, with higher household incomes and more likely to have fulltime employment:
- 71% Male // 29% Female
- Average Age: 32
- College Degree or More: 50%
- Have a household income of $75k+: 53%
- Have full-time employment: 67%
- Average Annual Spending Per Fantasy Player (age 18+): $653
- Favorite Fantasy Sport: Football
- Fantasy Sports Players that Pay League Fee: 70%
In 2017, there are 59.3 million people playing fantasy sports in the USA and Canada.
| FIGURE 1. Percentage of fantasy sports players compared to the general population in the United States and Canada (Age 12+) | ||
| United States | Canada | |
| Total | 21% | 19% |
| Adults | 18% | 19% |
| Teens | 34% | 21% |
The growth of the number of people playing fantasy sports in the USA and Canada has exploded over the years.
| FIGURE 2. Number of fantasy sports players by year | |
| Year | Estimated Number of Players |
| 1988 | 500,000 |
| 1991-1994 | 1 – 3 Million |
| 2003 | 15.2 Million |
| 2004 | 13.5 Million |
| 2005 | 12.6 Million |
| 2006 | 18 Million |
| 2007 | 19.4 Million |
| 2008 | 29.9 Million |
| 2009 | 28.4 Million |
| 2010 | 32 Million |
| 2011 | 35.9 Million |
| 2014 | 41.5 Million |
| 2015 | 56.8 Million |
| 2016 | 57.4 Million |
| 2017 | 59.3 Million |
On average, fantasy sports players (age 18+) spend $556 on league-related costs, single-player challenge games, and league-related materials over a 12-month period.
| FIGURE 3. Fantasy sports players’ (age 18+) spending (over 12-month period) | |||
| 2016 | 2015 | 2012 | |
| Daily Fantasy Sports | $318 | $257 | $5 |
| Traditional Fantasy Sports | $184 | $162 | $60 |
| Materials | $54 | $46 | $15 |
Players are more interested in sports because of fantasy. 64% say they are watching more live sports because of fantasy. •61% say they read more about sports because of fantasy.
39% of fantasy sports players primarily use a mobile device compared to 25% in 2012.
| FIGURE 5. Among those that use a mobile device, fantasy sports players access websites via their devices to: | |
| Activity | Total |
| Check the score of my fantasy games | 16% |
| Set/change the line-up of my team | 12% |
| Check the scores of the other games in my league | 16% |
| Draft team | 10% |
| Create or join a fantasy sports league | 9% |
| Research players/free agents/check waiver wire | 13% |
| Offer or evaluate trades | 12% |
| View live draft results to gauge where players are being drafted | 11% |
| Watch fantasy sports TV or videos either live or on demand | 9% |
| Post comments or “trash talk” to other owners | 11% |
| Listen to fantasy sports radio shows/ podcasts | 8% |
Daily Fantasy Sports players participate in a wide array of sports throughout the year.
| FIGURE 6. How many days a month do you participate in daily leagues? | ||
| Sport | Average Days Played Per Month | Average Lineups on Days Played |
| Fantasy Soccer | 3 | 3 |
| Fantasy Baseball(MLB) | 3 | 2 |
| Fantasy Hockey(NHL) | 3 | 3 |
| Fantasy Racing (NASCAR) | 3 | 3 |
| Fantasy College Football | 3 | 3 |
| Fantasy Basketball (NBA) | 3 | 2 |
Fantasy sports players (age 18+) spend an average of $46 annually on fantasy sports materials.
| FIGURE 7. How much do fantasy sports players (age 18+) spend on materials per fantasy player? | |
| Material | Mean Expenditure |
| Online Premium Website | $14 |
| Fantasy Sports Magazines | $9 |
| Draft Boards With Labels | $7 |
| Cheat Sheets/Draft Kits | $6 |
| Draft Software | $5 |
| Tablet/Smartphone Apps | $4 |