ESPN and BSSP Tell Real, Human Stories of Fantasy Leagues in Latest Campaign

ESPN is back with the latest installment in their Only In Fantasy campaign, developed in collaboration with BSSP. This new campaign celebrates real fantasy football stories and moments from leagues all over the nation.

The campaign brings together real, human stories of fantasy leagues, to appeal to new fans and also bring nostalgia and camaraderie to current ones. The work showcases that some of the most interesting and unforgettable moments in football don't happen on the field, but around tables, living rooms and in garages.

ESPN’s fantasy football campaigns are known for demolishing records YoY as the brand continues to establish itself as the category leader.  Last year, the campaign surpassed the all-time sign-up record for ESPN Fantasy Football with 12.38 Million users. The 12.38 Million sign ups were 8.22 M retained users and 4.15 Million new users. 

Today, ESPN launches its fourth campaign with BSSP for Fantasy Football. 

Past campaigns have centered on relationships, and while this year is no exception, it manages to find a fresh angle by tapping into real stories from real people and their leagues.

One spot takes us back to the ‘70s, and pays homage to an actual 49 year-old fantasy football league as they are preparing for the upcoming season. Rather than taking a docustyle approach, the team chose to bring the spots to life as cinematic retellings based on true events. The BSSP team had an hour-long convo of the evolution of their league over the past 50 years and how they kept their fantasy league alive before the advent of social media, or the current internet-driven app model that we are familiar with today. 

Another spot tells the story of friends duking it out for draft order in a spicy competition of endurance. The third and final spot recreates one league's 'Breakfast of Champions' tradition — which includes the last place finisher being relegated to a plastic kids' table.

In today’s society, people are craving authenticity and connection more than ever - and this campaign aims to appeal to newer players and celebrate current ones by portraying the real bonds only fantasy football can make. Whether it's the long lasting rituals, traditions or punishments fantasy football has become a staple in our society that is all in service to more than just football. 

The goal of the campaign is to bring another approachable human element to the campaign to combat current consumer sentiment around barriers to entry with the fantasy football world. 

The team found that the primary barriers that kept people signing up for Fantasy was that it was too complex, time consuming, and required too deep a level of football knowledge. On the flip side,  the primary driver towards fantasy football was simple - a way to connect with friends and family. The campaign bridges that gap and convinces casual fans that the #1 football platform is about more than just enhancing your football knowledge; it's about strengthening your relationships.

This season of Fantasy Football also includes new product updates to the app featuring: Weekly Recaps: That are specifically created for your league based on player and team performances and Quick Lineup: Giving you the ability to set your lineup in seconds for the week 

The spots will run across linear and online video as well as a variety of media types, including radio, podcasts, and digital In addition to this campaign, ESPN’s Only in Fantasy message will expand into other ways to tell additional stories of traditions, triumph and connection throughout the season across platforms.