Fantasy gamers have now started following and watching more sports because of their interest in fantasy sports, a recent study has revealed.

According to a survey conducted by the Federation of Indian Fantasy Sports (FIFS), as much as 60 per cent of respondents, from the 1434 fantasy sports users surveyed, claimed to consume more sports content than before.

The study titled ‘Understanding the sports consumption behaviour among fantasy sports users’ has shed light on the increased consumption of sports among fantasy gamers to supplement their involvement in the fantasy aspect of sports.

A whopping 87 per cent of those who play fantasy games claimed that they now research or browse more information to be able to make a better strategy when playing on fantasy games apps.

“When sports fans create their own virtual teams on online fantasy sports (OFS) platforms before the match start time, they consume a lot of sports content online to do their research,” explained John Loffhagen, chairman of FIFS.

“After the match begins, OFS users watch the sports match closely to check on the performance of the players they have selected and their own ranking on the leaderboard,” added Loffhagen.

Although we have witnessed a sharp increase in the usage of smartphones in recent years, TV remains the primary source for watching various sports.

Fifty-one per cent of fantasy games users admitted to consuming sports content for more than five hours a week after playing fantasy games. A little less than 40 per cent of users get their information from social media, the study concluded.

While cricket remains the most popular sport in India, 59 per cent of fantasy game players have acknowledged watching new sports because of their interest in fantasy games.

Apart from cricket and football, fantasy game apps have added basketball, baseball, kabaddi, hockey, volleyball, and American football to their roster.

The report also mentions that after starting to play fantasy games, 48 per cent of users now watch every match irrespective of team or country, thereby increasing the overall viewership of live sports.