FanDuel Announces Dallas Fantasy Baseball Championship
In an attempt to bring the live final experience to more players and different locations, FanDuel announced their first regional Fantasy Baseball Championship to be held in Dallas, Texas on May 16th. The contest will feature ten qualified players who will square off for a chance at a $200,000 prize pool, with $60,000 to the winner. This event will be one of at least three likely live finals for FanDuel over the course of the season, but there could be even more if the response to this event is high enough.
With the Playboy Championship already announced, and the World Fantasy Baseball Championship sure to be announced eventually, adding in smaller, regional finals provides even more chances to participate in a live final and possibly take home a huge check in addition to a great experience that comes with a DFS live event.
Those who qualify for the Dallas Championship will be flown into the heart of Texas and put up in the Omni hotel on FanDuel’s dime, as well as provided with tickets to a baseball game in town the night before the contest to get in some last-minute scouting and to prepare the finalists minds for the main event. FanDuel has suggested that users who do not qualify may be able to attend the live final as a guest, but details on this process have yet to be announced.
Unlike other live finals, this small-field contest will only allow one entry per user. The prizes will be paid out as follows.
So for as little as a $5 entry into the Opening Day qualifier (or even less, should FD decide to run a cheaper qualifier down the road), finalists will be competing for a minimum payout of $6,000, with the top-six all seeing five-digit paydays.
Along with other live finals being announced on a regular basis, it’s clear that the DFS industry is leaning heavily on the concept of providing more than just a platform for playing daily games. Daily sites are partnering with professional leagues and teams, offering unique live events, and rewarding their customers with more than just payouts and reward points. If the response is positive to the Dallas Championship, it’s hard to imagine FanDuel not offering similar live finals in other locations throughout the summer, and lining a few up for the NFL season as well.
The first qualifier for the event is already posted in the FanDuel lobby, and you can find a link and more information on our forums.