February 10, 2012

Fantasy Football Today Expanded; CBS Sports Launches Pro Football App For 2011

September 8, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Presented by Subway & Volkswagen, FANTASY FOOTBALL TODAY has been expanded to feature segments throughout the week; Also available on CBS Sports Network

CBS Sports Pro Football app delivers live NFL scores,
breaking news, fantasy football updates & advice

FT. LAUDERDALE, FL, Sept. 8, 2011 – CBSSports.com today announced updates to its live fantasy football video series and companion mobile apps, designed to provide fantasy football players with the news, advice and insight to win a league championship in 2011.

FANTASY FOOTBALL TODAY, the ultimate pre-game preparation program for fantasy football players, returns for its fourth season and has been expanded beyond Sunday. In addition to its two live Sunday shows, FANTASY FOOTBALL TODAY will now feature live shows Tuesday through Friday. Additionally, CBS Sports Network will telecast FANTASY FOOTBALL TODAY on Sundays from 11 am to 1 pm ET.

FANTASY FOOTBALL TODAY will premiere in 2011 on Thursday, Sept. 8 at 7:30 p.m. ET, taking viewers up to kickoff of the New Orleans/Green Bay game, providing the latest news and information to fantasy football players to help set their lineups for the start of the NFL season.

For fantasy football fanatics and NFL news-seekers, CBS Sports has launched an updated version of its Pro Football app. Available for iPad, iPhone, Android and BlackBerry devices, the CBS Sports Pro Football App gives CBSSports.com fantasy football players the ability to control their teams in real time: check scores, set lineups, add/drop players, and more.

Additionally, the app supplies information and analysis from CBSSports.com Fantasy News, including the entire team of award-winning CBSSports.com Fantasy sports writers.  Fantasy players nationwide can now access a graphically rich, up-to-the minute app providing the most coveted analysis and data in the business, regardless of their fantasy sports provider.

2011 Weekly Schedule for FANTASY FOOTBALL TODAY

  • Tuesday:     12:00-12:30 p.m. ET         Injury updates & waiver wire options
  • Wednesday:     12:00-12:30 p.m. ET         Injury updates & weekly rankings by position
  • Thursday:     12:00-12:30 p.m. ET        Injury updates, projections, & start/sit advice
  • Friday:     12:00-1:00 p.m. ET        Injury updates & game-by-game breakdowns
  • Sunday:     11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. ET     Last minute updates, roster advice, & inactives
  • Sunday:      8:00-8:45 p.m. ET         Breakdown of fantasy results from Sunday

Presented by Subway and Volkswagen, FANTASY FOOTBALL TODAY is hosted by Jason Horowitz and Lauren Shehadi and features guests and experts, including a new addition for 2011: three-time All-Pro and Pro Bowler for the San Francisco 49ers, Randy Cross.

FANTASY FOOTBALL TODAY includes the cast of THE NFL TODAY on CBS Sports, NFL ON CBS analysts in stadiums across the league, Cross and Fantasy Football experts from CBSSports.com including Jamey Eisenberg, Dave Richard, and Nate Zegura. Together, the FANTASY FOOTBALL TODAY crew interacts with viewers, providing expert advice to guide their fantasy football team, regardless of what fantasy sports provider they use.

The home for FANTASY FOOTBALL TODAY is located at CBSSports.com Fantasy News (fantasynews.cbssports.com/fantasyfootballtoday) the leading news and information site specifically geared to the world of fantasy sports and is available to the public, regardless of what fantasy sports provider they use.

The CBS Sports Pro Football App allows FANTASY FOOTBALL TODAY fans to watch live streaming coverage of each and every episode directly from their iPhone or iPad.

Key Features of the CBS Sports Pro Football App:

  • Up-to the-minute NFL scores and breaking news
  • Real time graphical GameTracker with live play-by-play, box scores, drive charts, and team stats
  • Exclusive NFL RapidReports from CBSSports.com, featuring up-to-the-minute inside reports from all 32 NFL teams
  • Full control of your CBSSports.com fantasy football teams, including live score updates for your team/league, ability to set your line-up, add or drop players, and get breaking player news
  • Complete access to CBSSports.com Fantasy News, including player updates, injury news, projections, and roster trends – - accessible by both CBSSports.com and non-CBSSports.com fantasy players
  • Streaming video including game previews, recaps, analysis, and more
  • Ability to watch live streaming coverage of CBSSports.com’s FANTASY FOOTBALL TODAY on iPhone and iPad

The CBS Sports Pro Football app can now be downloaded in the App Store for iPad and iPhone.  Android users can download the app by visiting the Android Market on their handset and searching for “CBS Sports Pro Football.” BlackBerry users can download the app by visiting the BlackBerry App World on their handset and searching for “CBS Sports Pro Football.”

Filed Under: CBS, Fantasy

NFL.com Fantasy League champions can win Super Bowl tickets, championship rings & more via “NFL Fantasy Ultimate Experience”

August 26, 2011 By Leave a Comment

FANS ARE BACK TO NFL.COM FANTASY FOOTBALL

NFL.com Fantasy Seeing Record Growth: More than 50% Increase in Signups

World’s Only NFL Fantasy Game with Video Now Including Instant In-Game Highlights

“NFL Fantasy Ultimate Experience” Offers Fantasy Prizes only the NFL can make a Reality

NFL.COM FANTASY FOOTBALL, the official game of the NFL, is setting record numbers as fans get back to football, with a more than 50% increase in signups to date this year.  For the first time, NFL.com fantasy players will have access to exclusive NFL video with instant in-game highlights. Once a big play happens, the video highlight will appear on your screen as quickly as 30 seconds.

“Fans are choosing NFL.com Fantasy Football because when you want the NFL, you go to the NFL,” said JEFF BERMAN, GM of NFL Digital Media. “Fantasy players want everything instant and NFL.com is the only home for immediate highlights anywhere online. No other fantasy game can offer anything close.”

 

In addition to instant video, NFL.com is offering a suite of new and enhanced functionality and research, including:

  • First-to-the-fan official injury information detailing practice status, game status and active/inactive information an hour before a game starts
  • Tracking of player Targets and Touches to predict the next breakout star
  • Advanced “RedZone Opportunity” analysis to select the top performers
  • In-depth Fantasy Points Against (FPA) information
  • Drag-and-drop roster changes
  • Additional trends and research to assist in managing the best possible team throughout the season

The NFL is providing fantasy players with a suite of new tools on mobile platforms as well.

“As fans go increasingly mobile, NFL.com is offering fantasy players opportunities to research, manage teams, and stay up-to-the-second while on the go,” said CORY MUMMERY, Director of NFL Fantasy.

The NFL is giving fans a free new mobile website (m.fantasy.nfl.com), along with free iOS and Android applications that enable NFL.com Fantasy players to manage their teams from their mobile devices including:

  • Track live scoring on the go & track a team’s performance in real time
  • Set lineups and add players
  • Propose and accept trades
  • Create and/or join leagues
  • Up to the second player news, including official injury reports

In addition, for the first time users may access the full NFL.com Fantasy Football game on a tablet with an optimized version of the game.

In time for draft season, the NFL is bringing fans NFL Fantasy Cheat Sheet ’11, one of the most popular fantasy football draft apps of the past three seasons now with official marks, logos and data including NFL historical stats. The improved app contains robust content such as Average Draft Position (ADP) and Average Auction Value (AAV) and includes new for this season the latest player news, injury reports and depth charts; team offensive and defensive rankings; Individual Defensive Players (IDP); the ability to track keepers; the consistency rating for each player; and a Value Based Drafting (VBD) algorithm customized for each league with players ranked based on value instead of points.  NFL Fantasy Cheat Sheet ’11 is available for Android and iOS devices.

Further, NFL.com Fantasy players can get fantasy news and video through NFL Mobile only from Verizon.

New this year, NFL.com Fantasy Football is offering the NFL FANTASY ULTIMATE EXPERIENCE, providing fans the opportunity to win prizes that only the NFL can provide.  Users may play for these unique prizes by either joining an NFL-Managed league or through League Manager upgrades within their custom league.  NFL Fantasy Ultimate Experience offers nearly 20 different prizes including: custom Fantasy Super Bowl ring; officiating flags; Golf Tournament with NFL alumni; NFL Dream Camp experience; and once-in-a-lifetime experiences at NFL events including Super Bowl XLVI, the 2012 NFL Combine and the 2012 NFL Draft.

In August 2007, NFL brought the operations of NFL.com in-house and re-launched the site. In June 2010, NFL brought operations of NFL.COM FANTASY FOOTBALL in-house and launched its game. NFL.com is the home for the most NFL highlights and video on the web.

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Filed Under: Fantasy, Football

ESPN Fantasy Football Makes Its Return for the 2011 Season

August 12, 2011 By Leave a Comment

ESPN Fantasy Football Makes Its Return for the 2011 Season

Football is officially back for the 2011 season, which means the return of ESPN Fantasy Football presented by GEICO and GMC for its 17th season on the digital gridiron.  On Monday-Tuesday, July 25-26, ESPN Fantasy Football logged two of the three biggest days ever for sign-ups in a single day, five times more than the previous Monday and four times more than the previous Tuesday.  Additionally, page views for both days to Fantasy Football content on ESPN.com were up 85% compared to the previous week.  Last year, unique users to ESPN Fantasy Football grew 19% compared to the 2009 season.

To kick off the season, ESPN.com introduced its “Fantasy Forever” campaign urging fans to get ready in anticipation for the season.  The spots depict the fun, social traditions that fantasy leagues take part in and the humorous obstacles that leagues have ‘survived’ over the years.  The spot is available at http://www.espnmediazone3.com/us/videomultimedia/.

For the 7th consecutive year, the game will feature the broadest collection of expert analysis, news and statistical information available – all for free.  ESPN Fantasy Football players can begin drafting (and mock drafting) on ESPN.com now and will be served by integration across ESPN’s many media platforms.

ESPN Fantasy Football

This year, iPhone and Android users on the go will have the added benefit of downloading the ESPN Fantasy Football app for free – previously offered as a paid app – beginning in mid-August.  Highlights and new features to the game this year include:

  • Fractional scoring and the option for a RB/WR/TE slot;
  • Fantasy Football tutorial videos;
  • Insider Recommends, a seamless tool integrated within the ESPN.com Online Draft window that suggests the best available player during the draft and for a manager’s team during the season;
  • Insider’s popular Draft Analyzer tool, which assesses which player will benefit a team the most based on a roster’s needs and the players still available, and then optimizes the pick with that information;
  • Sharing league and team transactions via the “Share” icon on Facebook and Twitter.

As always, managers will be able to customize their league with a variety of features and options, including the ability create standard and public leagues, set up new rules and scoring, transfer existing keeper league settings, choose auction bidding over waivers for free agent pickups, select from multiple draft options (online auction, live online or automated online) and more.  ESPN.com also provides multiple tools for the draft including a Fantasy Football Draft Kit that breaks down every player, a Mock Draft Lobby for players to prepare strategies of picks and the option to trade draft picks in leagues with a fixed draft order.

During the season, managers can follow ESPN FantasyCast for free live scoring in real-time during fantasy football Sundays, access embedded player information cards and have the ability to add/flag players to better manage the waiver wire throughout the season.  Each league also features message boards, chats, polls and smack boards.  All features are highlighted by ESPN.com’s fantasy experts with both weekly player projection totals and position ranks.

ESPN.com

On ESPN.com, players will again find the most useful and comprehensive information, analysis and insights in the industry.  ESPN has assembled an unmatched roster of writers, analysts and media personalities, including:

  • Matthew Berry (a.k.a. “The Talented Mr. Roto”), a five-time Fantasy Sports Writers Association (FSWA) award-winner, will release weekly columns on free-agent pickups, loves/hates and positional rankings;
  • Award-winning analyst Christopher Harris will provide comprehensive game observation-based analysis throughout the week; and
  • ESPN.com Fantasy Insider Eric Karabell will blog daily and post his popular weekly Flex Rankings every Thursday.

Other contributors include FSWA award-winner Tristan Cockcroft, ESPN Insider K.C. Joyner and ESPN.com sports injury expert Stephania Bell.  Fans will also find insight from ESPN.com’s football experts and analysts, including Hall of Famer John Clayton; Mike Sando, Dan Graziano, Kevin Seifert, Bill Williamson, Pat Yasinskas, James Walker and Paul Kuharsky of the NFL Blog Network; and Scouts Inc.’s Matt Williamson.

ESPN Mobile

  • ESPN Fantasy Football App – Previously offered as a paid app, iPhone and Android users this year will be able to download for free beginning in mid-August.
  • Mobile Team Management – Players with access to the ESPN mobile Web site will be able to set rosters, trade and waive players, and check scoring – all from their mobile devices.
  • Mobile Scores and Alerts – Players can access their roster, scores and latest news on their mobile device.  ESPN Insiders can opt to receive personalized team alerts with breaking news, scoring, injury and substitution updates.
  • Mobile TV – Fantasy football-related video content from ESPN programs.

TV & Radio

This season, ESPN will once again bring fans fantasy football insights, information and analysis on its television and radio networks, including:

  • SportsCenter Fantasy Draft Special:  On August 18 at 7:00 p.m., ESPN will televise its fifth annual “SportsCenter Fantasy Draft Special.”  The program will feature a preview special highlighted by analysis and debate from a number of ESPN analysts and experts, including Matthew Berry, Tim Hasselbeck and ESPN.com sports injury expert Stephania Bell.
  • Fantasy Football Now:  The Emmy Award-winning live Sunday morning program, incubated on ESPN.com and now available on ESPN2 will air every Sunday during the season at 11:30am bring you right up until kick, the show returns beginning with four half-hour preview shows beginning August 14.  ESPN’s Robert Flores hosts with Berry as lead analyst, football expert Tim Hasselbeck breaking down fantasy, Stephania Bell, Sara Walsh and a collection of additional contributors each week.
  • NFL Live, SportsCenter, First Take, Mike & Mike, ESPNEWS:  ESPN’s signature news, information and analysis programs will feature fantasy football content integration, with additional in-depth attention to fantasy football in late August.
  • ESPN Radio:  Throughout the season, ESPN Radio will devote attention to fantasy football in popular programs like Mike & Mike in the Morning (simulcast on ESPN2) and on Football Tonight.

Podcasts

ESPN Radio and the ESPN.com PodCenter will bring fans two original podcasts dedicated to fantasy football this season:

  • ESPN Fantasy Draft Special presented by Geico – 6 Pre-Season – approx. 30 minutes.  Hosts Jon Anik and Christopher Harris will discuss position rankings and strategy leading up to the season.
  • ESPN Fantasy Focus Football – Daily – approx. 30 minutes (5 days per week in-season only).  Hosted by Berry and Nate Ravitz, and featuring a host of guests and interviews, the podcast will provide player previews, game overviews, injury analysis with Bell and strategies.   In 2009, Fantasy Focus was named in the PodcastAwards.com awards for “Best Sports Podcast” and “People’s Choice.”
  • ESPN Football Today – Daily – approx. 30 minutes.  All things football with in-depth pre- and post-game analysis, players, coaches and more with hosts Ross Tucker and Matt Williamson.

 

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Filed Under: ESPN, Fantasy

Fantasy Baseball On Deck at ESPN.com

March 23, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Fantasy Baseball On Deck at ESPN.com

Free to Play with Live Scoring, Mobile Alerts and Expert Analysis; Baseball Tonight Fantasy Baseball Draft Special to Air Thursday, March 24 at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN2

Opening Day is fast approaching, and ESPN is ready with the return of ESPN Fantasy Baseball on ESPN.com.  For the fifth consecutive year, the game will feature a broad array of coverage across online, television, podcasts and mobile devices — all for free.

In 2010, total registered players to ESPN Fantasy Baseball were up 8 percent compared to the previous season.  To kick off the 2011 season, ESPN2 will air the Baseball Tonight Fantasy Baseball Draft Special on Thursday, March 24 at 8 p.m. ET to break down this year’s roster of players and to analyze the playing field with Baseball Tonight host Steve Berthiaume featuring senior fantasy analyst Matthew Berry, ESPN.com senior writer Buster Olney, Fantasy Insider Eric Karabell, baseball analyst Doug Glanville and injury expert Stephania Bell.

ESPN Fantasy Baseball

For the fifth straight year, ESPN Fantasy Baseball will be entirely free and will deliver fans a host of advantages. Returning features for ESPN Fantasy Baseball include:

  • ESPN FantasyCast: An interactive tool that uses live scoring and real-time results to track fantasy team players as the games are being played;
  • Live Scoring: Live player-by-player scoring and results, including live updating box scores
  • Mock Draft Lobby: Lets players drop in at any time to run through a draft, try out a new draft strategy or just see who and how other players are drafting;
  • Live Draft Lobby: Allows players to find and join a league and hold a draft, anytime day or night;
  • Multiple Draft Options: Including live online Auction drafts, Private drafts, Live Draft Lobby, Automated drafts and offline drafts;
  • Online Draft Kit: Includes complete rankings, projections and profiles for more than 850 players, rankings for the top 100 prospects for 2011, cheat sheets and dollar values for mixed, AL- and NL-only leagues, updated average draft and auction results, draft and auction strategies, mock drafts, in-depth analysis and a look at the most pressing questions for all 30 major league teams;
  • Mobile Alerts: Players can keep up with their team while away from the computer, with the ability to receive breaking news and scoring alerts directly to wireless devices (all carriers);
  • Draft Pick Trading: Players have the option to trade draft picks in league with a fixed draft order;
  • Player Cards 2.0: Embedded player information cards allow players to see recent news, analysis and game-by-game stats without leaving the site;
  • Keeper Options: Any number of players may be kept on owners rosters from season to season without needing to be redrafted;
  • Customizable Rules and Scoring: Hundreds of custom settings from roster size to transaction type to statistics used for scoring;
  • League Message Boards, Chat and Polls: Players can discuss news, create their own polls and even chat online – all from within their ESPN.com league.

ESPN.com and ESPN Insider

ESPN will continue to provide the most useful and comprehensive information, analysis and insights in the industry with an unmatched roster of writers, analysts and media personalities.  The ESPN Fantasy Baseball team includes Berry, Karabell, Jason Grey, Tristan H. Cockcroft, Brendan Roberts, James Quintong, AJ Mass, Nate Ravitz and injury analyst Bell. Fans will also find baseball news and insights from leading pro baseball experts, including ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark, Jerry Crasnick, Olney and Tim Kurkjian.

Additionally, ESPN Insiders receive premium access to features and tools including:

  • Fantasy Baseball Draft Analyzer: This tool provides a competitive advantage on the most important day of the Fantasy Baseball season — Draft Day.  As players are selected, ESPN Insider Draft Analyzer assesses which player will benefit your team the most based on your roster’s needs and the players still available, and then optimizes your pick.  With Draft Analyzer, Insiders can get the player they need most and dominate the draft.
  • Insider Recommends: First launched on fantasy football and new to baseball this season, this seamless tool integrated within the ESPN.com Online Draft window helps managers make decisions on which player would be best to take with their next pick.  For auction drafts, the tool also informs users when a player is a good value or overpriced.
  • Eric Karabell’s KaraBlog: With 2-to-5 entries each day, Eric provides expert insight into the latest news affecting fantasy players.
  • Jason Grey’s Blog: As the only fantasy writer in the industry with an accredited scouting background, Jason provides first person accounts on what’s really going on with players who are breaking out or unexpectedly struggling, and also provides weekly rankings of the top prospects for fantasy still in the minor leagues.
  • Buster Olney’s Blog: Daily one-stop morning shot of opinion, news and notes on all 30 teams.
  • Keith Law’s Blog: Scouting and analysis focused on the top prospects and young players in the games, plus breakdowns of key trades and injuries.
  • MLB Rumor Central: A daily must-read for the best reporting and insight on baseball rumors from ESPN experts.
  • Advanced Analysis: Gives users access to the best from the world of advanced statistical thinking, with regular weekly contributions from top analysts at Baseball Prospectus, FanGraphs, Baseball Think Factory and Baseball Info Systems.

ESPN Mobile

Players will have full team management capabilities via mobile devices with access to the ESPN mobile Web.  Alerts are also available for $1.99 per month featuring lineup alerts warning users of injured players in active slots, inactive players eligible for an open slot and probable pitchers on the bench. Additionally, free Fantasy Baseball news from ESPN Alerts will be available for the latest developments that could potentially impact lineup decisions.  Fantasy baseball-related video content is also available on ESPN Mobile TV (via FLO TV, MobiTV and Sprint TV platforms).

The ESPN Fantasy Baseball app is now available for free on iPhone, Android and RIM devices, allowing users to:

  • Access live scoring for fantasy teams, both rotisserie and H2H scoring supported;
  • Access General Fantasy News, Videos and Tweets from ESPN¹s Fantasy analysts -View and post messages to your league¹s message board;
  • Complete full transactions (add, remove, waiver wire pickups, propose trade) from the app;
  • Track and manage multiple teams across leagues;
  • View player cards.

A premium version of the app can be purchased for $4.99 that, in addition to content in the free app, allows players to receive lineup and trade alerts and access to even more news and video content from ESPN Fantasy.

ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN Podcasts

This season, ESPN will continue to bring fans fantasy baseball insights, information and analysis on its television programs:

  • Baseball Tonight Fantasy Baseball Draft Special:  On Thursday, March 24 at 8 p.m. ET, ESPN2 will televise a 60-minute “Baseball Tonight Fantasy Baseball Draft Special.”  The program — hosted by Berthiaume and featuring Berry, Olney, Karabell, Glanville and Bell — will break down each position, potential sleepers and busts, draft strategies, rookies and more.  The special will re-air on ESPN at 10 p.m. ET, as well as on Saturday, March 26 at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
  • SportsCenter, Baseball Tonight and The Bottom Line:  This week, SportsCenter is featuring a “Diamond Debate” series, an analysis of players by position with Berry and Olney.  ESPN’s signature news, information and analysis programs will feature fantasy baseball content integration, including additional in-depth attention to fantasy baseball in late March.  Baseball Tonight will have live news-reaction reports from Berry and Bell.  The Bottom Line will integrate custom fantasy content with Baseball Tonight and live games.
  • Fantasy Focus Baseball Podcast: With hosts Berry and Ravitz and producer Jay “Pod Vader” Soderberg, the podcast is one of the most popular on iTunes. With regular appearances from Bell as well as MLB reporters and players along with an assortment of celebrities, the show blends fantasy sports and pop culture into a daily experience for fans.

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Filed Under: Baseball, ESPN, Fantasy

Fantasy Programming Returns to MLB Network for 2011 Season

March 18, 2011 By Leave a Comment

FANTASY PROGRAMMING TO RETURN TO MLB NETWORK FOR 2011 SEASON

MLB.com’s Fantasy 411: 2011 Fantasy Draft Preview to Air on Sunday, March 20 & MLB.com’s Fantasy 411 Begins April 4

My Team Right Now: The Reality Draft to Air on Sunday, March 27

Secaucus, NJ, March 17, 2010 – With Opening Day only two weeks away and fantasy baseball drafts in full swing, MLB Network will air MLB.com’s Fantasy 411: 2011 Fantasy Draft Preview on Sunday, March 20 at 8:00 p.m. ET. MLB Network’s panel of analysts will also serve as mock general managers in My Team Right Now: The Reality Draft on Sunday, March 27 at 9:00 p.m. ET.

Hosted by MLB Network’s Matt Yallof and Harold Reynolds along with MLB.com’s Cory Schwartz and Mike Siano, MLB.com’s Fantasy 411: 2011 Fantasy Draft Preview will provide detailed player rankings and  position-by-position analysis, including potential ‘breakout, bargain and bust’ candidates. The two-hour preview show, which will be simulcast on MLB.com, will discuss different strategies for draft day and which injured stars will recapture their elite fantasy status this season.

MLB.com’s Fantasy 411 will once again be simulcast live on MLB Network and MLB.com on weekdays at 2:30 p.m. ET, beginning Monday, April 4. The program, hosted by MLB.com’s Jeremy Brisiel, will provide key insights from Schwartz and Siano to help keep fans informed on the latest fantasy news, notes and trends in Major League Baseball. Clips from Fantasy 411 from this past offseason can be viewed here.

My Team Right Now: The Reality Draft, hosted by Matt Vasgersian, will feature a panel of MLB Network analysts each constructing their own lineup that they think would have the best chance to win a World Championship. In a mock baseball draft format, Larry Bowa, John Hart, Al Leiter, Dan Plesac, Harold Reynolds and Mitch Williams will each draft a lineup, including a starting and relief pitcher, using the position rankings from MLB Network’s Top 10 Right Nowepisodes from this past offseason.

 

Filed Under: Fantasy, MLB, MLBN

ESPN NBA.com Fantasy Basketball Returns for the 2010-11 Season

October 20, 2010 By Leave a Comment

ESPN NBA.com Fantasy Basketball Returns for the 2010-11 Season
ESPN Digital Media to Provide Full Court Coverage of the NBA on ESPN.com, ESPN3.com, ESPN Mobile and Social Media Platforms

NBA Digital and ESPN are bringing back the official commissioner-style fantasy basketball game for its second year.  Through this unique collaboration, players have access to the very best fantasy basketball content online and on mobile devices via ESPN.com and NBA.com, two of the leading NBA destinations on digital platforms.  Sign-ups for ESPN NBA.com Fantasy Basketball 2011 are up nearly 30 percent compared to the same time period last year.

Fans will once again be able to create leagues and teams, schedule drafts, conduct mock drafts, check scores, set their lineups, manage their teams with the latest information on their players and more. New features for the 2011 version of the game include:

  • FantasyCast – a tool that will allow players to follow their team live during games;
  • App Store – players can download the app to manage their team on the go;
  • Free Agency Auction Bidding – a new and more competitive option amongst team owners to bid for waiver wire players;
  • Public Custom Leagues – create or join public leagues with customized league settings; and
  • Player Watch Lists and Player Comparison – follow free agent players throughout the season.

ESPN NBA.com Fantasy Basketball 2011 is available on NBA.com and ESPN.com and on ESPN and NBA mobile Web sites. Players can once again find the same great content they’ve come to expect, including integrated access to all the leading NBA Digital and ESPN Fantasy news, analysis and information including video, podcasts, columns, features and more; NBA TV and ESPN studio personalities competing in the game throughout the season; and mobile companions allowing team management through the ESPN and NBA mobile Web sites, as well as a downloadable Draft Kit mobile application developed by ESPN.

The NBA on ESPN

During Kia NBA Tip-Off ‘10, Kia Motors is hosting a variety of activities to celebrate the start of the 2010-11 NBA season, including a pair of two-hour television shows on ESPN. The first Countdown to Kia NBA Tip-Off special aired on Sunday, Oct. 17 with another episode scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 24 at 9:00 p.m ET.  Each Countdown to Kia NBA Tip-Off special includes an ESPN studio show and special original programming created with exclusive NBA content produced by NBA Entertainment.

The second special, on Oct. 24, features an hourlong preview of the upcoming 2010-11 season – an all-access pass to training camps around the league; a look at the long-awaited comebacks of Yao Ming, Blake Griffin and George Karl; plus other top storylines to watch out for in the upcoming year.

The 2010 NBA regular season, Playoffs, Draft and Free Agency period generated ESPN’s most successful year across digital platforms.  Full coverage online and on the go will return, allowing fans to follow the action of this year’s highly anticipated season.

ESPN.com

The NBA section on ESPN.com reached record traffic in the past year, peaking in July with 6.7 million unique visitors, up 81 percent from last July.  Visitors are also spending more time consuming NBA content than ever before, with total minutes to the section averaging 91 million minutes per month, up 62 percent, and average minutes per visitor per month at 18.1 minutes, up 20 percent.

This season, ESPN.com will continue its in-depth coverage of the NBA, including commentary from The Sports Guy and New York Times best-selling author of The Book of Basketball Bill Simmons and daily coverage from Henry Abbott and the TrueHoop Network, offering up-to-the-minute input from across the Web with immediacy, community, and a distinct style.  Other coverage includes:

  • Daily Dime Live – events posted daily at 7 p.m. EST complete with live discussion and observations about teams, players and games from ESPN.com’s talented lineup of reporters, analysts, commentators, TrueHoop Network bloggers and fans from across the NBA universe;
  • ESPN NBA GameCast – a completely re-engineered version of ESPN’s stat feed app pushes live game information direct from courtside.  The new GameCast will debut after the NBA All-Star break with advanced features and easy-to-read design;
  • Heat Index – in-depth coverage of the NBA’s most talked about franchise this season. The Heat Index will provide 24/7 coverage of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and the entire Heat team from ESPN.com NBA experts Brian Windhorst, Michael Wallace and Kevin Arnovitz;
  • Local Coverage – ESPN.com’s local sites in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston and Dallas deliver coverage of the seven teams in those markets, while the TrueHoop Network includes 36 different blogs – one for every team and six general – to deliver deep and wide coverage of the NBA.
  • Social Media – Daily Dime Live will be the online destination for fans to engage and interact in the sports conversation with each other and with ESPN.com NBA experts.  SportsNation will also include fan polls, blogs and user-generated player and team rankings.  Other social media tools include Conversation pages, the NBAonESPN Twitter feed and Facebook pages.

ESPN3.com

ESPN3.com will once again deliver live streaming of every NBA game on ESPN and ESPN2 this season.  ESPN’s 24/7 live broadband sports network saw triple digit percentage growth during the 2010 post-season, including the NBA Playoffs up 101 percent and the NBA Draft up 253 percent.  The October and November schedule for the 2011 season on ESPN3.com includes:

DATE TIME (EST) AWAY HOME
Wed, Oct 27 8:00 PM Chicago Oklahoma City
10:30 PM Portland L.A. Clippers
Fri, Oct 29 8:00 PM Orlando Miami
10:30 PM L.A. Lakers Phoenix
Wed, Nov 3 8:00 PM Milwaukee Boston
10:30 PM L.A. Lakers Sacramento
Fri, Nov 5 8:00 PM Chicago Boston
10:30 PM L.A. Clippers Denver
Wed, Nov 10 7:00 PM Utah Orlando
9:30 PM L.A. Clippers San Antonio
Fri, Nov 12 7:00 PM Utah Atlanta
9:30 PM Portland Oklahoma City
Wed, Nov 17 7:00 PM Phoenix Miami
9:30 PM Chicago San Antonio
Fri, Nov 19 7:00 PM Oklahoma City Boston
9:30 PM Chicago Dallas
Wed, Nov 24 7:30 PM Miami Orlando
Fri, Nov 26 7:00 PM Houston Charlotte
9:30 PM Golden State Memphis

ESPN Mobile

Fans on the go were never far away from the NBA action last season.  Page views for the ESPN mobile Web site during the regular season were up 22 percent, while visits were up 140 percent.  Traffic during the post-season (June-July) also generated increases in page views (up 46 percent) and visits (up 124 percent).  Additionally, ESPN sent over 200 million alerts covering NBA game starts, scoring updates and news last season.

Beginning this month, every NBA game on ESPN and ESPN2 will also be carried live on ESPN Mobile TV, ESPN’s 24/7 mobile sports television network available on the FLO TV, MobiTV and Sprint TV platforms.

About ESPN and The NBA
ESPN’s comprehensive, multi-year agreement with the NBA includes wide-reaching multi-media coverage and content across ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNEWS, ESPN Classic, ESPN Deportes, ESPNU, ESPN International, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, ESPN3.com, ESPN Mobile, ESPN podcasts and additional media platforms still to be developed.  ESPN and ABC combine to televise 90 regular-season games, plus each round of the postseason – including The Finals exclusively on ABC.  ESPN Radio also offers season-long broadcasts including the regular season, postseason (including The Finals) and All-Star events.

About NBA Digital
NBA Digital is the NBA’s extensive cross-platform portfolio of digital assets jointly managed by the NBA and Turner Sports. This robust offering includes NBA TV, NBA.com, NBA LEAGUE PASS, NBA LEAGUE PASS Broadband, NBA Mobile, NBADLEAGUE.com and WNBA.com.

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Filed Under: ESPN, Fantasy, NBA

Actor Jerry Ferrara Hosts Fantasy Football Show on SIRIUS XM

September 14, 2010 By Leave a Comment

ACTOR JERRY FERRARA HOSTS FANTASY FOOTBALL SHOW ON SIRIUS XM

“Ferrara’s Fantasy Football” airs Thursdays throughout the NFL season

“Entourage” star hosts live every week exclusively on SIRIUS XM Fantasy Sports Radio

NEW YORK – September 14, 2010 – SIRIUS XM Radio (NASDAQ: SIRI) announced today that actor Jerry Ferrara, best known for his role as Turtle on HBO’s hit series, Entourage, will host a weekly fantasy football show exclusively on SIRIUS XM Fantasy Sports Radio, the 24/7 fantasy sports channel available on XM channel 147 and SIRIUS channel 211 for subscribers with the “Best of XM.”

Ferrara’s Fantasy Football will air this Thursday, September 16 (7:00-8:00 pm ET / 4:00-5:00 pm PT), and every Thursday throughout the season.

Ferrara, who grew up in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn as a diehard New York Giants fan, will host the show each week from Los Angeles.  A self-described “fantasy football fanatic,” he will take calls from other fantasy football players around the country, reviewing the week that was and previewing the coming weekend’s games, and will talk one-on-one with other celebrity fantasy football fans from the worlds of entertainment and sports.

“Fantasy football players love to talk to other fantasy football players about anything and everything fantasy football related,” said Ferrara.  “That’s what my new SIRIUS XM show is all about.  When NFL season rolls around, I become totally consumed with fantasy football and I know there are a lot of others out there like me.  Having a place to talk it all out is almost therapeutic!  Call me up and let’s talk about potential trades, waiver wire pickups, who you should start this weekend. And we’ll get some experts into the mix to give you the advice and info you need to get an edge in your league.”

For more info, please visit www.sirius.com/siriusxmfantasysportsradio.

SIRIUS XM Fantasy Sports Radio debuted July 1 on XM channel 147 and on SIRIUS channel 211 for subscribers who purchase the “Best of XM” package.  The new 24/7 channel offers advice and news from a collection of experts and covers a full spectrum of fantasy sports, including football, baseball, basketball, NASCAR, hockey, soccer and golf.

SIRIUS XM Fantasy Sports Radio is available to Premium Online subscribers through XM Radio Online and SIRIUS Internet Radio and through the SIRIUS XM App for the Apple iPhone, iPod touch and several BlackBerry and Android-powered smartphone devices. (Access to channel online and through the App may require a subscription upgrade.)

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Filed Under: Fantasy, Football, Sirius/XM

NEW “NFL Fantasy Live” 90-minute Show EXCLUSIVELY on NFL.com debuts Sunday @ 11:30 AM ET

September 10, 2010 By Leave a Comment

NFL.COM INTRODUCES NFL FANTASY LIVE

NEW 90-Minute LIVE Studio Show to Air Exclusively on NFL.com Every Sunday Morning Starting September 12

Fantasy Players Now Have Their Own Show To Answer Last Minute Roster Questions

NFL.com is helping all Fantasy players get ready to take on the competition with NFL FANTASY LIVE presented by Geico, a new 90-minute studio show that will air exclusively on NFL.com every Sunday from 11:30 AM – 1 PM (ET) starting September 12.

NFL.com developed NFL FANTASY LIVE to be a valuable information resource for all fantasy players and complement NFL Network’s NFL GameDay Morning.  Michelle Beisner, Dave Dameshek and NFL fantasy experts Michael Fabiano and Adam Rank host the show. NFL FANTASY LIVE will also have live reports from NFL Network reporters at games around the country.  If there is breaking news that could affect fantasy teams, the show will cut to a reporter live at the stadium.

NFL FANTASY LIVE will feature “The Rundown,” a graphic listing upcoming segments.  Each episode will begin by reviewing the inactives for the day across the league, followed by a break-down of the major fantasy storylines in each game.

NFL FANTASY LIVE also taps into an NFL.com user’s fantasy team.  Viewers playing fantasy football on NFL.com will be able to see their roster within the show experience.  If a player on a roster is being mentioned as inactive on-air, that player also will appear on the ‘inactives module’ on a viewer’s screen and will be highlighted in the user’s ‘team section.’  In addition, viewers may send questions to @nflfantasy for a chance to have their questions discussed on air or responded to via Twitter.

NFL FANTASY LIVE is the first Fantasy show exclusive to NFL.com that is TV broadcast quality.  Live from NFL Network’s studio, the show has a custom-built studio graphics package, including full screen graphic boards, lower-third identifier graphics, 3D segment animations and more.  NFL FANTASY LIVE is the only online fantasy preview show with NFL game footage and NFL Films footage.

NFL Fantasy LIVE is a compelling and energetic linear live show online, while also being an experience that keeps users engaged.  If the show is focusing on a player not on a user’s team, there are multiple places within the application for users to interact with their team or do further research.  NFL.com is a one-stop shop for fantasy users to get all the information needed to win their fantasy matchup.

NFL FANTASY FOOTBALL presented by Verizon on NFL.com is the only game that contains video highlights, with thousands of game highlights that make fantasy football come to life including for the first time in-game highlights.  Fans will enjoy game highlights and video analysis throughout the season, customized to each fan’s team and each fantasy matchup.  Highlights of all significant fantasy scoring plays will be integrated into the platform, making Game Day on NFL.com the ultimate fantasy experience.  In addition, hours of pregame video, including analysis and fantasy advice, help fans manage their rosters and set their lineups each week.

NFL FANTASY FOOTBALL is available on two free platforms. NFL Custom League provides fans the opportunity to customize a league for their friends.  Fans who sign up for NFL-Managed League will be in a league run by NFL.com and be eligible to win official NFL prizes.

The 2010 season will be the first time operations of NFL FANTASY FOOTBALL are in-house. In August 2007, NFL brought the operations of NFL.com in-house and re-launched the site. NFL.com is the home for the most NFL highlights and video on the web.

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Filed Under: Fantasy, NFL

Fantasy Football Today Returns To CBSSports.Com On September 9

September 9, 2010 By Leave a Comment

FANTASY FOOTBALL TODAY RETURNS TO CBSSPORTS.COM ON SEPTEMBER 9

Presented by Ford & Edge Shaving Gel, FANTASY FOOTBALL TODAY features segments from THE NFL TODAY & reports from CBS Sports NFL analysts in stadiums across the NFL

New for 2010, the FANTASY FOOTBALL TODAY POSTGAME SHOW will provide viewers a recap of all the fantasy action from each NFL Sunday

FT. LAUDERDALE, FL, Sept. 9, 2010 - CBSSports.com today announced the return of the ultimate pre-game preparation program for fantasy football players, FANTASY FOOTBALL TODAY, for its third season. The show will premiere in 2010 on Thursday, Sept. 9 at 7:30 p.m. ET, taking viewers up to kickoff of the Minnesota/New Orleans game, providing the latest news and information to fantasy football players to help set their lineups for the start of the NFL season. New for 2010, CBSSports.com has added the FANTASY FOOTBALL TODAY POSTGAME SHOW, providing viewers a live recap of all the fantasy football action immediately following Sunday’s action.

Presented by Ford & Edge Shaving Gel, FANTASY FOOTBALL TODAY is hosted by Jason Horowitz and features guests and experts, giving fantasy players around the world access to the latest breaking NFL news and information. Guests and experts on FANTASY FOOTBALL TODAY include the cast of THE NFL TODAY on CBS Sports, NFL ON CBS analysts in stadiums across the league, CBS College Sports Network Studio Analyst and NFL veteran Brian Jones and Fantasy Football experts from CBSSports.com including Jamey Eisenberg and Dave Richard. Together, the FANTASY FOOTBALL TODAY crew interacts with viewers, providing expert advice to guide their fantasy football team, regardless of what fantasy sports provider they use.

The first live Sunday edition of FANTASY FOOTBALL TODAY will be this Sunday (Sept. 12) from 11 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. ET, providing viewers with all the late breaking news right up to the kickoff of games. FANTASY FOOTBALL TODAY will then continue each and every Sunday in that time frame for the remainder of the 2010 NFL regular season.

Sunday, Sept. 12 will also feature the inaugural FANTASY FOOTBALL TODAY POSTGAME SHOW which will highlight the top fantasy performers, busts, and surprises from each NFL Sunday. Hosted by Lauren Shehadi of CBSSports.com along with Eisenberg, Richard and other Fantasy Football experts, the FANTASY FOOTBALL TODAY POSTGAME SHOW will start each Sunday night of the NFL regular season at 7:30 p.m. ET and take viewers up to kickoff of the Sunday night NFL game of the week.

The home for FANTASY FOOTBALL TODAY is located at CBSSports.com Fantasy News (fantasynews.cbssports.com/fantasyfootballtoday) the leading news and information site specifically geared to the world of fantasy sports and is available to the public, regardless of what fantasy sports provider they use.

Filed Under: CBS, Fantasy, Football

Sirius XM Radio To Broadcast Live From The 2010 Fantasy Football Superdraft In Las Vegas

August 26, 2010 By Leave a Comment

SIRIUS XM RADIO TO BROADCAST LIVE FROM THE 2010 FANTASY FOOTBALL SUPERDRAFT IN LAS VEGAS

SIRIUS XM Fantasy Sports Radio channel to broadcast from the country’s largest gathering of fantasy football fans

Actor Ashton Kutcher and fantasy expert Nathan Zegura will host “Fantasy Football Live” on SIRIUS XM

Coverage of Kutcher’s celebrity fantasy football draft

NEW YORK – August 26, 2010 – SIRIUS XM Radio (NASDAQ: SIRI) announced today that it will broadcast live from the Fantasy Football SUPERDRAFT at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, NV, this Friday, August 27, and Saturday, August 28.

All shows will air on SIRIUS XM Fantasy Sports Radio, the 24/7 channel dedicated to fantasy sports, available on XM channel 147 and SIRIUS channel 211 for subscribers with the “Best of XM” programming package.

The Fantasy Football SUPERDRAFT is a weekend long series of events – combining fantasy football drafts, live entertainment and Vegas nightlife – that draws fantasy football fans from all over the country to kick off the fantasy football season.

On Friday, August 27, SIRIUS XM Fantasy Sports Radio will broadcast Fantasy Football Live, a talk show featuring Ashton Kutcher and Nathan Zegura, The Fantasy Consultant, from 5:00 – 6:00 pm ET.  Kutcher, a devoted fantasy football player, and Zegura will preview the fantasy football season and discuss player picks and draft strategies.

Immediately after Fantasy Football Live, SIRIUS XM Fantasy Sports Radio will broadcast Kutcher’s Celebrity Fantasy Football Draft, where Kutcher and other celebrities will bid, auction-style, for players and build their fantasy rosters for the 2010 season.  SIRIUS XM’s John Hansen and Zegura will be on air during the proceedings, analyzing each pick and speaking with the celebrity participants.

On Saturday, August 28, Hansen and Zegura will host a special three-hour fantasy football special (2:00 – 5:00 pm ET) live from the SUPERDRAFT Draft Room at the Palms, where thousands of fantasy football players will be gathered for their 2010 draft.  Hansen and Zegura will offer fantasy draft advice, ranking position players, picking sleepers, and analyzing the rosters being assembled throughout the day.

SIRIUS XM Fantasy Sports Radio debuted July 1 on XM channel 147 and on SIRIUS channel 211 for subscribers who purchase the “Best of XM” package.  The 24/7 channel offers advice and news from a collection of experts and covers a full spectrum of fantasy sports, including football, baseball, basketball, NASCAR, hockey, soccer and golf.

SIRIUS XM Fantasy Sports Radio is available to Premium Online subscribers through XM Radio Online and SIRIUS Internet Radio and through the SIRIUS XM App for the Apple iPhone, iPod touch and several BlackBerry and Android-powered smartphone devices. (Access to channel online and through the App may require a subscription upgrade.)

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Filed Under: Fantasy, Football, Sirius/XM
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