As the 2011 pro football season officially kicks off tonight, New York’s Bloomberg Sports hopes managers of fantasy teams will turn to the latest version of its Decision Maker software to help them choose their starting lineups. Backed by analytics developed by media and information services giant Bloomberg LP, Decision Maker aims to serve football fans who take their fun and games seriously.
Decision Maker is a Web and mobile app that, for a seasonal fee, lets users compare players they want to assign to their fantasy football teams. Unsure if Peyton Manning still has the arm to win the game, assuming he is healthy enough to play by Week 2? The app may offer some insight on his expected performance. “About 80 to 90 percent of people who use the tool just need that quick answer or guidance,” says Bill Squadron, head of Bloomberg Sports. The newest version of Decision Maker, released in late August, introduced a voting feature for users to share their opinions on the big games each week. “Fans like to express their own views and see what others think,” Squadron says.
Though some might dismiss the imaginary teams competing in virtual leagues, fantasy sports are growing as part of the fan experience, according to Squadron. According to the Fantasy Sports Trade Association, last year some 27 million adults Americans participated in fantasy sports. Squadron says fantasy football represents the largest segment of the market followed by
