The History of Fantasy Sports

From an idea to a worldwide industry.

The fascinating true stories behind the people who built fantasy sports. From passion projects to a billion-dollar phenomenon.

Trusted by Readers Worldwide.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.6

Book Description

Fantasy sports have become as ingrained in American culture as baseball and apple pie. There are versions of these games for football, baseball, basketball, hockey, soccer, cricket, bull riding, bass fishing, Iditarod and many more. More than 50 million men and women in the USA play fantasy sports. 200 million play fantasy Cricket in India.

The History of Fantasy Sports provides the first complete telling of how we got from the spontaneous ideas for games years ago, to the multi-billion-dollar industry of today. It’s not written as a boring research paper. The stories of the entrepreneurs who created a worldwide industry are interesting, inspirational and funny. There’s never been a book on this topic and it’s getting rave reviews, such as:
“Simply fascinating read from start to finish.” —MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW

Larry Schechter, author of the 2014 Amazon bestseller Winning Fantasy Baseball, spent 18 months researching and interviewing dozens of key players, pioneers, and entrepreneurs to uncover their stories. You will be entertained and inspired by these stories of humble beginnings turned multi-million-dollar enterprises. Schechter does a great job of capturing the passion, obsession, and love of the game behind these businesses.

This reader-friendly book includes stories of the World War II hero who helped spread fantasy football; the true story of how Dan Okrent invented fantasy baseball (no, he didn’t magically think of the idea on an airplane); five nuns in a Chicago convent who co-managed a fantasy football team; a man with ALS winning his first fantasy championship after playing for 39 years; how Monica Lewinsky saved fantasy sports, and much more.

1. In the Beginning

2. The Origins of Fantasy Baseball

3. The Origins of Fantasy Football

4. The First Commercial Games

5. Newspaper Games

6. CDM Sports and the Landmark Legal Case

7. First Fantasy Sports Publications

8. First Fantasy Sports Books

9. Advanced Metrics

10. Commissioner Services

11. Fantasy Radio and TV Shows

12. News Services

13. First Football Websites

14. High-Stakes Games

15. Major Media Companies

16. The Fantasy Sports Trade Association

17. Legal Battles and Legislation

18. Injury Experts

19. Innovative Entrepreneurs

20. Experts Leagues

21. Daily Fantasy Sports

22. Fantasy Sports Worldwide

Epilogue

Bibliography

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Larry Schechter

Larry Schechter is the author of the 2014 Amazon bestseller Winning Fantasy Baseball. He has been called one of the best fantasy baseball players in the world. Larry was a two-time winner of the CDM Sports national salary cap contest, defeating 7,500 teams in 2002 and 6,000 teams in 2005. He has competed in the two most prestigious experts leagues, winning the USA Today sponsored LABR league three times and the Tout Wars experts league six times. One of his keys to success in fantasy baseball is attention to detail. He used that ability in researching, conducting interviews, and writing The History of Fantasy Sports. Larry is now retired and lives in Florida.

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testimonials

What readers are saying

4.5 Star Rating

Impressively informative, exceptionally well organized and presented…simply fascinating read from start to finish…especially recommended for library collections.

MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW

Unlike most sports history books, this is fun to read.

MARK STEVENSON Book Reviewer

Despite spending my entire career in the industry, I was enlightened by all the interviews and countless stories throughout the book.

PAUL CHARCHIAN President of the Fantasy Sports Trade Association, 2009-2020

What sets this book apart is its ability to bridge the gap between historical data and the human elements of the fantasy sports community. Schechter brings to life the pioneers and landmark moments that have defined the genre. This is a must-read that captures the essence of fantasy sports with the reverence and depth it deserves.

MARK MARIANI CBS Sports and Turner Sports

Larry regales us with colorful accounts, many of them direct from the source. This is a must- read for any fantasy sports fan.

TRISTAN COCKCROFT ESPN Senior Fantasy Sports Writer

This is the definitive history of fantasy sports, capturing the personal stories and business trajectories of the many competing startups and eventual power players. Larry Schechter brings remarkable detail to the then-and-now dynamic of fantasy, from the bootstrapped early years to the multi-billion-dollar industry it is today.

JOE LEMIRE Sports Business Journal

Contact us

Get in Touch with Larry Schechter

Questions, media inquiries, or speaking requests? Get in touch.

Phone Number

561-400-0572

Email Address

larryschechter@aol.com