TDJ Golf and the Golden Age of Fantasy Sports Apps
In May of 2018, major players across the fantasy sports industry sat on the edges of their seats as the United States Supreme Court heard arguments on the legality of a 1992 federal law banning sports betting. The ruling would shape the fate of the $7bn industry.
If the law was found unconstitutional, the entire landscape of fantasy sports software, and sports betting as a whole, would shift dramatically. States would be free to handle sports betting, digital or otherwise, as they saw fit. Apps could freely integrate sports betting into their software. Investors could fund new ventures and projects without fear of suffocating regulation and restrictions.
In a landmark 6–3 decision, the Court found the law unconstitutional, striking it down, ushering in a new era of sports betting, and energizing the entire fantasy sports industry. Fantasy sports entrepreneurs hailed the decision as a big win for their users, passionate sports fans looking to more directly engage with the games they love.
Jason Robins, the CEO and co-founder of DraftKings, said in a statement: “Our mission has always been to bring fans closer to the sports they love and now, thanks to the wisdom of the Supreme Court, DraftKings will be able to harness our proven technology to provide our customers with innovative online sports betting products.”
It’s important to recognize that, when it comes to the fantasy sports industry, betting is only a single aspect of it. I want to focus on another aspect of what Robins mentions: passionate fans and their love of the game.
The number of sports fans engaging digitally with fantasy apps is growing exponentially. A 2017 report from the Fantasy Sports Trade Associate put the number of fantasy golfers at a staggering 11.2 million. And that number has only grown since the report was published.
Of those players, a significant amount isn’t just bettors. They’re fans and aficionados looking to engage meaningfully with their sport of choice. They want to connect with other fans, compete against their peers and friends, and participate in shared experiences.
Passionate golfers are who we had in mind when we developed the concept for TDJ Golf. With a solid base of fantasy golf players, we saw an opportunity to offer users immersive and engaging gameplay experiences. Our app puts the user experience at the center of the software.
By making players and their achievements the center of TDJ Golf, we’re empowering users to create their own narratives. Games of golf that they might otherwise play on a weekend are now part of a greater context. By virtually playing alongside their fantasy teams, they’re competing head-to-head against rivals, making every stroke count. And with real prizes on the line, there are stakes to the competition.
Our commitment to offering unique and engaging experiences for our players doesn’t only benefit our core audience. Because we’re handling the logistics of player stats and tournaments, the app is a perfect fit for golf clubs and courses all over the country.
Consider the situation from the point of view of a club or course operator. In recent years, growth rates are sluggish at best. While they offer core services that golfers expect, they’re having a hard time engaging players digitally. There’s only so much that social media promotions can accomplish.
Because of the design of TDJ Golf, we’re offering a tremendous amount of value to courses and clubs. We do the heavy lifting of a fantasy sports platform so our club partners can focus on their members.
Put simply, our app isn’t looking to supplant golf courses, but to make them a core part of the experience for our players. The platform works in concert with clubs to bring golfers together. It’s a powerful concept that has the potential to energize the sport of golf like never before.
While we could spend the rest of this article detailing the features of TDJ Golf, it’s more important to consider the reason we created the app in the first place: providing golfers and fantasy fans an outlet for their passion.
TDJ Golf exists because we successfully identified a passionate community of users seeking engagement and interactivity. We tailored the app to their needs first and foremost, and the rest of the design followed from that.
There’s never been a better time to be involved in fantasy sports. The wide availability of mobile devices, engaged users, and the elimination of outdated regulations has created a golden age for us and our users. The right idea and the right group of people have the power to transform the way we enjoy our favorite sports. We can’t wait to see what the future brings.
