How Fantasy Football Can Help You Create a Great Customer Experience

Are you looking for ways to create a great customer experience at your facility? Look no further than fantasy football!

Fantasy football season is upon us. Now is the perfect time to start planning some fantasy football parties in your space and offer a great customer experience that keeps people coming back for more.

Keep reading to learn more about fantasy football, why it matters, and how to create hype!

What is Fantasy Football? 

You might be wondering, how does it all work?

Well, the gameplay of fantasy sports is all about selecting professional athletes for your fictional team and scoring points based on their statistical performance in the next real-life contest.

The points that your selected players earn go to your team, and that determines whether you win that week’s contest against another fictional team. Simple enough right?

In 2017, 21% of the US population was playing fantasy sports, 73% of which played fantasy football! According to the Fantasy Sports and Gaming Association, there were an estimated 59.3 million players that year, and they spent on average $556 each on league-related costs and materials. That's a lot of money!

The day that every fantasy football player is the most involved is that of the “draft.” This is the key moment where seasons are won or lost, where each team “owner” gets to select which professional athletes will be on their team.

Throughout the “season,” participation from teams will begin to taper off as winning aspirations become less likely. The championship is somewhat important, but mostly to those teams that are heavily involved.

Draft day is a moment your family entertainment center could and should be capitalizing on!

The History of Fantasy Football

Fantasy football was born In the fall of 1962 at the Manhattan Hotel on 700 8th Avenue, New York, NY.

There launched the world’s first fantasy football league: the Greater Oakland Professional Pigskin Prognosticators League, or GOPPPL. This acronym was also what they originally called the game itself.

Over time this game would evolve in volume, name, and technology to what we know today: fantasy football. Gone are the days of submitting rosters to a “league secretary” or stacks of paper, accidentally drafting players who have since left the league.

The National Football League itself caters to the fantasy team owner with special applications and services for both television and mobile devices.

Fantasy football as a phenomenon owes its success to these sports enthusiasts!

Why It’s Relevant to Our Industry

Two words: draft party. 

Event bookings are the most critical pillar holding up the financial well-being of any family entertainment center.

Customer experience assures return visits for future parties (birthday, corporate, team building, etc.) as well as encourages party guests to book events later on. This consistent, predictable source of revenue is one that you’ve spent time building already.

Not every facility is designed to accommodate or cater to this demographic. For example, if you’re a soft-play center that primarily books birthday parties for 4-6-year-olds, this may not be a great angle to pursue.

Providing a great customer experience to this demographic could mean more for your facility than a single event!

How to Create Hype

The summer is a busy time and we sometimes forget football season is right around the corner. There is a high likelihood that your customer hasn’t put any thought toward it either or realized they could book a venue like yours for their draft party!

Put up signage, or other promotional materials about your location being the “One-Stop-Shop” for their next fantasy football draft party. Promise that there are no logistics involved for them to worry about -- you’ve got everything covered!

Train your staff on what to ask customers to build excitement and interest. For example, if they see an NFL logo on their apparel, it is worth asking whether they play fantasy football or not!

Make sure they're trained on how easy it would be to wrap party costs into their yearly league fees. Put out information online, such as on your website or social media channels.

There is plenty of excitement already for fantasy sports, and you want to funnel that hype toward your location and event offering by letting customers know you can provide them with an additional amazing experience.

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Did you like the tips in this post? Comment below! We'd love to hear what you think.

Bonus Resource: Fantasy Football

As an FEC owner or manager, you might be wondering: What can I create that's a unique and "out of the box" experience for my customers?

Get it here​ or click on the image below to download your complimentary copy!