Daily fantasy eSports site AlphaDraft announced a trio of new partnerships intended to increase its ability to provide content alongside its contest offerings.
AlphaDraft’s new partners are…
Even moreso than traditional daily fantasy sports, DFeS focuses on integrating content with a fantasy platform. That concept is on full display with the moves AlphaDraft announced on Tuesday. The deals announced included:
- AlphaDraft signed top-ranked Counter-Strike: Global Offensive player and prolific live streamer Jaryd “summit1g” Lazar. According to the announcement, Lazar will “produce eSports analysis and matchup advice, broadcast live AlphaDraft fantasy drafts, and host giveaways, each focused on fantasy matches for CS:GO.” Lazar is approaching a million subscribers at the live streaming site Twitch.
- AlphaDraft signed a sponsorship deal with Luminosity Gaming, an eSports organization that recently acquired the No. 1 South American CS:GO eSports team, Keyd Stars. Stephen Maida, owner of Luminosity Gaming had this to say according to a press release on the deal: “Luminosity Gaming can further highlight its championship-caliber eSports skills while collaborating on unique programming that lets pro gamers, coaches, and team managers share their expert insight and fantasy eSports analysis.”
- The site also entered into a “strategic content partnership” with the eSports organization Team Dignitas. According to the announcement, “popular members of Team Dignitas (pictured) will produce fantasy eSports blogs, host contests for AlphaDraft members on-site and through social media, as well as stream a variety of competitive eSports titles live.” The head coach of the European branch of the team, Ram “Brokenshard” Djemal, will host AlphaDraft’s new web-series Re-Cap, based on the League of Legends Championship Series.
AlphaDraft CEO Todd Peterson had this to say about the announcements:
“We are delighted to expand our strategic partnership initiatives by working with top notch broadcasters like summit1g and leading eSports teams Luminosity Gaming and Team Dignitas. Together, we will offer further outstanding eSports content.”
The focus on content in DFS is growing
The AlphaDraft deals signal what is becoming a growing trend in the daily fantasy sports industry, whether it’s for eSports or more traditional sports — DFS operators providing content alongside a platform. Providing something other than just contests helps to keep fantasy players engaged with a particular DFS site.
That concept is on display to some extent at FanDuel and DraftKings, who have invested some resources into content — see Insider at FanDuel and Playbook at DK. FanDuel also sponsors a daily show on Twitch, while DraftKings puts up content on YouTube.
DFeS sites like AlphaDraft and Vulcun also host blogs, but they also take content integration a step further, with live streams of contests alongside its fantasy contests. (This is obviously more difficult in the traditional fantasy sports realm, because of TV contracts; many eSports competitions are streamed via Twitch).
An example of how the content will help AlphaDraft? The signing of Lazar brings with it the chance to regularly interact with hundreds of thousands of current or potential DFeS players via his Twitch channel.
These new deals highlight the idea that there is a ton of value in daily fantasy content, and that value isn’t limited to third-party websites. DFS operators themselves can derive ancillary value from content, using it to attract and retain customers.
