I was thinking about this the other day and I decided that fantasy football is the most significant contributing factor in the crazy market share the NFL curren

I was thinking about this the other day and I decided that fantasy football is the most significant contributing factor in the crazy market share the NFL currently enjoys compared to the other major sports. If not for fantasy football, I don't think the NFL would be as overwhelmingly popular compared to the other sports as it is today. Because of fantasy football, nearly every game on television is watchable, because nearly every game has implications to the fantasy-viewer. Of course, a lot of what makes fantasy football compelling to play is derived in part from what makes football compelling as a fan. 16 game seasons mean every game means something. One game a week, all on Sunday (until this dumb Thursday night football BS started), means there is a low overhead to team management. Multiple skill positions and multiple (interesting) ways to score (fantasy) points allows for varying strategies. Add all of those together and you end up with a game that is accessible to the masses, yet engaging and deep enough for those that choose to compete. This is what ultimately holds back the other major fantasy leagues (NHL, NBA, MLB). Daily fantasy sports are a huge win for gaining back some of that market share, so it will be interesting how that affects actual viewership numbers in the future. Personally, I think the NBA is going to gain back some of the ground it has lost since the 90s.