Coming soon to an NFL stadium: FanDuelVille.
Daily fantasy sports site FanDuel and the Jacksonville Jaguars are extending their partnership to create “FanDuelVille at EverBank Field,” which will rebrand the north end zone deck at the home of the NFL franchise.
FanDuelVille will have a big population
The announcement, which came via the Jaguars’ website, sets up what appears to be a massive version of the “fantasy sports lounge” that is coming into vogue in the DFS industry.
Here is how the announcement described the space:
This first-of-its-kind environment for fans in professional sports and entertainment exemplifies the Jaguars’ and FanDuel’s progressive thinking to integrating in-stadium entertainment with the booming daily fantasy sports industry. FanDuelVille will allow all fans at EverBank Field access to the space, which can comfortably hold 3,000 fans at once, with the ability to watch the live game experience from any area in FanDuelVille on the world’s largest video boards.
Once they enter FanDuelVille, fans at EverBank Field will have access to unique free daily fantasy football games and experiences, live fantasy football statistics and scoring updates. FanDuelVille will also give fans entry to the biggest and best party scene in professional sports, including multiple bars with signature cocktails, a live DJ and emcee, as well as significant promotional opportunities for fans to win all-inclusive premium hospitality experiences.
FanDuel CEO Nigel Eccles weighed in on the announcement at Jaguars.com, as well:
“As a Jaguars partner, we were ecstatic with the creativity the club showed in helping us find a true home for our product. FanDuelVille exemplifies the type of entertainment experience we try to deliver to our customers on a daily basis and marries our signature product to create an unbeatable live experience.”
Other interesting details of the venue:
- It will be open next week for a preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, on August 14.
- There will also be a “100-person VIP area” within the area that fans can win entrance to via the Jaguars website.
- The area will become the “FanDuel 5th Quarter” for a post-game party after Jaguars games, with live music and the ability to watch late NFL games.
Fantasy venues are escalating quickly
FanDuel announced its initial deal with the Jaguars and more than a dozen other NFL franchises in the spring. By Legal Sports Report’s count, this is the eighth sports venue to have a DFS-sponsored area.
FanDuel already had a fantasy lounge in the arena of the Orlando Magic and one in the works for the Memphis Grizzlies in the NBA, along with a lounge at the stadium of Washington’s NFL team.
Legal Sports Report forecasted recently that DFS sites could start looking to having an increased presence in stadiums and arenas around the country, and such deals have been signed by both DraftKings and Draft Ops. Venues like FanDuelVille offer a chance for user and fan engagement, as well as more exposure than opportunities like signage and promotion on media platforms provide.
FanDuelVille, however, represents an even bigger commitment to the fantasy venue. It will be interesting to see if teams and DFS sites start leveraging their partnerships more like FanDuel and Jacksonville have.
