The Future Of Live Scoring In Fantasy Sports

[Greg Ambrosius]

Microsoft was involved in one of the panel discussions at the FSTA Trade Conference in Las Vegas last week and they were there to introduce XBox1 and its involvement with fantasy sports. I was unable to attend that panel discussion, but I've heard enough to get very excited about this.

Basically, Microsoft is partnering with the NFL to improve the fantasy football experience. If you run your league on NFL.com, it's possible that you not only could have Live Scoring but there would be a link for each of your players to see video highlights of their plays that day. Basically, you could have your own Red Zone channel of your fantasy team. Now I don't know if that's something that will happen right away, but it's the type of technology that is coming down the pipe.

And you know that MLB.com is talking about the same thing as well. I actually saw this technology being developed two years ago by a private company, but we didn't see how they'd get the highlights without the leagues' consent and of course the consent of the networks who televise the games. This definitely has to be something driven by the leagues and if they opt to share the video to other fantasy providers for a fee then it could open up to other sites. We'll see what will happen in the future, but this venture between the NFL and Microsoft shows what can lie ahead for our industry and it's very exciting for all of us players. Real-time video highlights of your fantasy teams would be something else, wouldn't it?

As I've often said, the best is yet to come for this industry. We are just in the infancy of technology and fantasy sports. This is a great example of how our industry is just touching on the unique ways we follow our fantasy teams and likely draft our fantasy teams. And to see Microsoft getting involved and working with the NFL through XBox1 is exciting as well. Now let's see the same advancements in baseball, basketball and the other sports.

What do you think of this latest development?

[KJ Duke]

As with most technical improvements, they will be interesting if/when they work perfectly.

In the meantime, I think most of us would prefer less technology that is perfectly executed over newer, "exciting" technology that has glitches. For now, I think the excitement resides mostly with the tech geeks that think they can create something that looks cool.

I owned a Jaguar XJ convertible once. It was a stunningly beautiful car, and I was really excited when I bought it. Every day after that I was less excited and after six months I had a near-hatred of it because as awesome as it looked and ran (when it ran), I couldn't rely on it to function as even a cheap, simple car should. If I ever buy another Jaguar, it will be because senility has set in and I have totally forgotten how frustrating it was to own that thing. Every tech guy in fantasy baseball should keep that in mind - what the fantasy consumer really wants - before getting carried away with the "cool" factor of what he wants to create.

[Quahogs]

Yeah but KJ instant hi-lites of your players as it happens and the impact on the standings right to your google glasses ! yeah baby ! Can't wait for this season.

[joshguy]

CBS already has highlights, usually updates within 10 or so minutes of the event. I suppose helps justify the cost of the site.

[poopytooth]

As with most technical improvements, they will be interesting if/when they work perfectly.

In the meantime, I think most of us would prefer less technology that is perfectly executed over newer, "exciting" technology that has glitches. For now, I think the excitement resides mostly with the tech geeks that think they can create something that looks cool.

I owned a Jaguar XJ convertible once. It was a stunningly beautiful car, and I was really excited when I bought it. Every day after that I was less excited and after six months I had a near-hatred of it because as awesome as it looked and ran (when it ran), I couldn't rely on it to function as even a cheap, simple car should. If I ever buy another Jaguar, it will be because senility has set in and I have totally forgotten how frustrating it was to own that thing. Every tech guy in fantasy baseball should keep that in mind - what the fantasy consumer really wants - before getting carried away with the "cool" factor of what he wants to create.

when I was younger, I worked at a car wash. Customer would pull up to a stop sign and hand over the keys and then we would pull onto track. One day, a new girl couldn't get a car lined up right and asked me to help. I had to back the car up and yes...wham...backed up into a Jaguar. The owner got out screaming, but he had passed the stop sign.

[DOUGHBOYS]

NFL.om already has something similar too. I'm really not that excited about this. This would have much more use on the Dark Side than baseball.
I watch most of the games and a pop up showing what my player just did well on the computer would probably be more of a nuisance than an attaboy for myself to tell the truth.
There are so many ways drafters follow their teams...
Casually by phone
Watching the games
Following by computer
Following by radio
A recap at the end of the night
a recap the next morning
I can see a pop up coming on a phone and having a drafter brag to buddies about how he drafted David Ortiz and he just hit a grand slam...but other than that, it just seems a miss for baseball folks...
A Shelby Miller scoreless inning in line for a Win, could be of greater benefit to some teams, than that Ortiz slam...

Like KJ, I would just like to see what is already conceived, work to perfection.

[COZ]

Microsoft was involved in one of the panel discussions at the FSTA Trade Conference in Las Vegas last week and they were there to introduce XBox1 and its involvement with fantasy sports. I was unable to attend that panel discussion, but I've heard enough to get very excited about this.

Basically, Microsoft is partnering with the NFL to improve the fantasy football experience. If you run your league on NFL.com, it's possible that you not only could have Live Scoring but there would be a link for each of your players to see video highlights of their plays that day. Basically, you could have your own Red Zone channel of your fantasy team. Now I don't know if that's something that will happen right away, but it's the type of technology that is coming down the pipe.

And you know that MLB.com is talking about the same thing as well. I actually saw this technology being developed two years ago by a private company, but we didn't see how they'd get the highlights without the leagues' consent and of course the consent of the networks who televise the games. This definitely has to be something driven by the leagues and if they opt to share the video to other fantasy providers for a fee then it could open up to other sites. We'll see what will happen in the future, but this venture between the NFL and Microsoft shows what can lie ahead for our industry and it's very exciting for all of us players. Real-time video highlights of your fantasy teams would be something else, wouldn't it?

As I've often said, the best is yet to come for this industry. We are just in the infancy of technology and fantasy sports. This is a great example of how our industry is just touching on the unique ways we follow our fantasy teams and likely draft our fantasy teams. And to see Microsoft getting involved and working with the NFL through XBox1 is exciting as well. Now let's see the same advancements in baseball, basketball and the other sports.

What do you think of this latest development?

Makes my prior live scoring experience (in the old scoreboard) of getting excited to see the orange "1" light up in my scoring column somewhat antiquated after reading this. Used to wait like 10 minutes just to see that orange "1" light up in the win or save column. That wait seemed like an eternity.

COZ

[Baseball Furies]

"We are just in the infancy of technology and fantasy sports."

I would say more like in utero around these parts.

[jaked2782]

If they are working with the nfl then it most likely will only be compatible with nfl.com leagues which i dont know anybody that actually plays on that site for any real money so i would imagine that mlb will work only with mlb.com (which is awful for fantasy baseball).. also i dont know about you guys but when i have 4-8 games on in front of me with my laptop, ipad or smartphone, i already have my live scoring up (in usually 20 different tabs) which updates pretty much instantly.. i prefer to have stats/scoring on my computer and just stick with the games on my tv screen, when you play in sooo many leagues like most of us do we end up with practically half the players in the league on our teams so we are talking about a popup on your tv pretty much every other 10 seconds.. this may work for the casual fantasy player with 1 10team league but im pretty sure most of the players on this site would find it a hindrance to your normal viewing experience..

We just need to make it easier to watch multiple games on one tv and also easier to manipulate what games we want shown at the same time.. .like the mlb mix channel but make it fit the entire screen so there isn't any wasted space and be able to put whatever games we want in the 8 boxes.. can we start there please??

[COZ]

If they are working with the nfl then it most likely will only be compatible with nfl.com leagues which i dont know anybody that actually plays on that site for any real money so i would imagine that mlb will work only with mlb.com (which is awful for fantasy baseball).. also i dont know about you guys but when i have 4-8 games on in front of me with my laptop, ipad or smartphone, i already have my live scoring up (in usually 20 different tabs) which updates pretty much instantly.. i prefer to have stats/scoring on my computer and just stick with the games on my tv screen, when you play in sooo many leagues like most of us do we end up with practically half the players in the league on our teams so we are talking about a popup on your tv pretty much every other 10 seconds.. this may work for the casual fantasy player with 1 10team league but im pretty sure most of the players on this site would find it a hindrance to your normal viewing experience..

We just need to make it easier to watch multiple games on one tv and also easier to manipulate what games we want shown at the same time.. .like the mlb mix channel but make it fit the entire screen so there isn't any wasted space and be able to put whatever games we want in the 8 boxes.. can we start there please??

God you're sick. I love it. That's why you need to get multiple tv's. I have MLB Game Mix on Main TV...MLB tonight or Strike Zone Channel (on Tues & Fridays) on upper TV #3 with secondary audio, them my other two TV's are free for flipping. That way I see everything LIVE. Then when I see one of my players do something, I stare at the old live scoring with the columns and wait for those orange numbers to flash. It's like sticking the needle right in the vein. Addcition.

Looooove the idea of picking our own "Game Mix" games. I have called the engineers of DirecTV multiple times bitching about their game selections. Like you, I don't think I can handle any more than what I already have or I may OD on baseball viewing.

COZ

[jaked2782]

If they are working with the nfl then it most likely will only be compatible with nfl.com leagues which i dont know anybody that actually plays on that site for any real money so i would imagine that mlb will work only with mlb.com (which is awful for fantasy baseball).. also i dont know about you guys but when i have 4-8 games on in front of me with my laptop, ipad or smartphone, i already have my live scoring up (in usually 20 different tabs) which updates pretty much instantly.. i prefer to have stats/scoring on my computer and just stick with the games on my tv screen, when you play in sooo many leagues like most of us do we end up with practically half the players in the league on our teams so we are talking about a popup on your tv pretty much every other 10 seconds.. this may work for the casual fantasy player with 1 10team league but im pretty sure most of the players on this site would find it a hindrance to your normal viewing experience..

We just need to make it easier to watch multiple games on one tv and also easier to manipulate what games we want shown at the same time.. .like the mlb mix channel but make it fit the entire screen so there isn't any wasted space and be able to put whatever games we want in the 8 boxes.. can we start there please??

God you're sick. I love it. That's why you need to get multiple tv's. I have MLB Game Mix on Main TV...MLB tonight or Strike Zone Channel (on Tues & Fridays) on upper TV #3 with secondary audio, them my other two TV's are free for flipping. That way I see everything LIVE. Then when I see one of my players do something, I stare at the old live scoring with the columns and wait for those orange numbers to flash. It's like sticking the needle right in the vein. Addcition.

Looooove the idea of picking our own "Game Mix" games. I have called the engineers of DirecTV multiple times bitching about their game selections. Like you, I don't think I can handle any more than what I already have or I may OD on baseball viewing.

COZ

Im pretty sure Marty Jr in Back to Future 2 was able to do this sort of thing while eating grapes that drop down from cealing...that was 2015 if i can remember correctly so we arent that far away i guess..