FanDuel's UK Launch in Next Few Weeks
July 29, 2016 11:37 amFanDuel is set to launch its new fantasy football platform in the UK within the next few weeks, with its timing coinciding with the beginning of the 2016-17 English Premier League season.
Despite the Scottish business being created in Edinburgh in 2009, the tech firm has never operated outside of the North American market, where it occupies a top position in the fantasy sports industry together with US company Draft Kings. FanDuel has since grown to boast more than six million registered users across the whole of North American, which is impressive considering the numerous legal challenges it has faced from various states who have questioned its legality.
Now, however, FanDuel is ready to launch its products in the UK market in what has been described as the “first step in its international expansion plans”. With that goal in mind, the company raised funds of $275 million in 2015, and describing the preparations it has carried out prior to its launch, the FanDuel director of international marketing, Karol Corcoran, explained:
“Our team has spent a lot of time on developing the right product for the UK’s football fans and we’ve already had a lot of positive feedback from users during our beta contest phase, which was rolled out during the 2016 Euros. We can’t wait to bring the full product to market.”
Chief rival, DraftKings, also applied and received a UK gambling license in 2015, with the firm having rolled out its own daily fantasy sports offering in February of this year. While DraftKings’ product is a more soccer-focussed version of its US platform, FanDuel has indicated that it would take a more innovative approach in order to take advantage of the country’s in-play sports betting market. FanDuel even teamed up with Opta, a sports data company, so as to provide its customers with an enhanced live data stream, with Karol Corcoran explaining that the company’s expertise would help customers better enjoy the live game experience. Elaborating further, Corcoran explained:
“Opta’s stats also play a critical role in our unique scoring system, which considers the contribution of every player on the pitch, not just those who score goals – ensuring a more realistic and compelling reflection of the on-field action.”