Fantasy football season starts weeks before the NFL season kicks off, making it one of the biggest opportunities of the year for sports bars and restaurants to attract loyal football fans. Hosting fantasy football drafts means longer stays, larger tabs and guests who return week after week throughout the season.
With DIRECTV FOR BUSINESS® you can turn your establishment into the ultimate fantasy football headquarters with live sports, NFL coverage, marketing materials and resources designed to help drive traffic all season long.
Ready to draft a winning season for your business? Explore DIRECTV packages built for sports bars and restaurants.
What Is Fantasy Football?
Fantasy football allows fans to draft their own virtual teams using real NFL players. Fantasy teams earn points based on how those players perform in actual NFL games. Leagues typically consist of eight to 12 teams, and during the fantasy draft, participants take turns selecting quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, tight ends and other positions to build their rosters. The goal is to score the most points throughout the season and ultimately win the league championship.
Fantasy football leagues are made up of coworkers, friends, family members and even strangers online, and many fans participate in multiple leagues. Because fantasy players follow athletes across the NFL, they’re more likely to watch games beyond just their favorite team, creating more opportunities for sports bars and restaurants throughout the season.
Need more info? Check out our Fantasy Football 101 for a full rundown.
Fantasy Football by the Numbers
Fantasy football continues to attract a large, highly engaged audience, giving bars and restaurants a valuable opportunity before the NFL season begins and throughout the fall.
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53 million Americans played fantasy sports in 2025, according to the Fantasy Sports & Gaming Association.
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More than 14 million fans played ESPN Fantasy Football in 2025, setting a platform record for the fourth consecutive year.
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ESPN Fantasy Football participation grew by more than 1 million fans year over year for the third consecutive season.
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The NFL remains one of the most popular sports among both established and next-generation fantasy players.
That’s a substantial audience looking for places to draft, follow players across the league and gather for game day.
When Does Fantasy Football Start?
Most fantasy football drafts take place throughout August and into early September, before the NFL regular season begins. That means bars and restaurants should begin promoting their draft-friendly spaces well before kickoff to secure league reservations early.
How to Draw Fantasy Football Players to Your Sports Bar
Drafts can take anywhere from two to four hours, depending on the number of people in a league. Many leagues also like to make the drafting process an event. Here are some tips for becoming a go-to sports bar for fantasy football leagues:
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Reliable Wi-Fi: No one wants to miss out on a top pick because of an unstable internet connection. Make sure your sports bar has reliable Wi-Fi so fantasy football leagues can draft with confidence.
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Be prepared: If guests aren’t drafting entirely online, provide draft boards, sheets, stickers and other supplies so they can track their selections.
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Food and drink specials: The more people in a fantasy football league, the longer the draft process can take. Deals designed for fantasy leagues can keep guests ordering and help score a win for your bottom line.
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Premium seating: Make sure each league has comfortable seating, sufficient table space, accessible power outlets and enough lighting to make the right choices.
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Create a draft-friendly zone: Fantasy football players need to make decisions quickly. A designated area with manageable TV and music volume can help guests concentrate while maintaining the energy of your establishment.
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Contests: Trivia, drawings and other league-night activities can make the draft more memorable and give football fans another reason to return.
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Score with our MVP Kit: DIRECTV FOR BUSINESS customers can access fantasy football marketing materials and our Fantasy Football Playbook, with tips and ideas for making the season a win for your business.
Keep Fantasy Players Engaged All Season
The draft is only the beginning. Fantasy players follow injuries, lineup decisions and player performances throughout the week, giving businesses opportunities to keep leagues connected after draft night.
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Promote weekly watch parties for league members.
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Offer recurring specials tied to Sunday afternoon or prime-time games.
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Create a league reservation area where groups can return each week.
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Use social media and digital banners to highlight upcoming games.
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Promote playoff and championship gatherings as the fantasy season reaches its finish.
Score Big With DIRECTV FOR BUSINESS
Ready to turn your establishment into the ultimate fantasy football headquarters? DIRECTV FOR BUSINESS helps bars and restaurants deliver the football experience fans expect all season long.
With NFL Sunday Ticket, your customers can follow every live out-of-market Sunday afternoon regular-season game across all 18 weeks. Games are available on channels 9552-9567, making it easier for fantasy football fans to keep up with players across the league—not just their favorite team.
Businesses can enhance the Sunday experience with NFL RedZone from NFL Network on channel 9551, featuring every touchdown from every game and seven straight hours of live football coverage each Sunday afternoon during the regular season. NFL RedZone is available for $109 for the entire 2026 regular season.
Throughout the rest of the week, nationally televised games, local broadcasts, Thursday Night Football on Prime Video and select streaming events give fantasy players even more opportunities to follow their rosters. Programming availability depends on the establishment’s DIRECTV FOR BUSINESS package.
NFL Sunday Ticket does not include locally available CBS and FOX games, NFL Network games, nationally televised games, select digital-only games or international games. Access to local broadcasts and other national NFL programming depends on the establishment’s DIRECTV FOR BUSINESS programming package.
As a DIRECTV FOR BUSINESS customer, you’ll also have access to our Fantasy Football MVP program, including:
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Fantasy football marketing materials
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Fantasy Football Playbook
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League draft materials
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Digital “Draft Here” promotional assets
Everything you need to position your business as a go-to destination for fantasy football leagues before and throughout the NFL season—from live game coverage to marketing resources designed to help drive repeat business.
Already a public DIRECTV FOR BUSINESS customer? You’re automatically enrolled in the DIRECTV MVP program! Simply visit DIRECTVMVP.com to access your account and order marketing materials for the upcoming football season. Your username is either your DIRECTV account number or the email address associated with your account.
Not a customer yet? Let’s get started…
