“Daily Draw” is both the name for Yahoo’s newest free-to-play prediction contest and an apt description of the company’s vision for how its sports app will increasingly fit into fans’ routines.
Launching on Dec. 20, the game will deliver individuals six randomly assigned cards, each with a potential outcome tied to that day’s biggest sporting event (such as “Chiefs win,” “Patrick Mahomes throws for 300 yards,” etc.) and a possible point value if correct. Players then select four of them for their entry, with top scorers earning cash prizes.
“We want something that says, ‘This is the best game of the day,’” Yahoo Sports president Ryan Spoon said. “How does someone play and engage around that in a really lightweight, fun experience?”
Yahoo’s intention is to give fans another reason to care about marquee matchups beyond their hometown teams and fantasy lineups. The company is also hoping “Daily Draw” supports additional fan discussion and site content, two pillars of Yahoo’s current sports app development philosophy.
Sports apps often must serve two use cases at once. Sometimes, fans merely want game information—time, score, TV channel, etc. At other moments, users open the app hoping to find entertainment rather than just metadata.
Since launching in 1997, Yahoo Sports’ offering has gone through numerous iterations. But since bringing on Spoon as president last year, the company is once again focusing on unique content in addition to commodity information. Yahoo Sports’ app features original video from the likes of Kevin O’Connor and Ariel Helwani, live game discussions including expert commentary, and written analysis from staff members.
Throughout the various evolutions, fantasy players have remained the foundation of Yahoo’s user base, and Spoon has focused on expanding that audience beyond the football season.
“We are nearly 50% up year-over-year from players who play NFL and are now playing another sport,” Spoon said. “That’s because we’re doing a better job through product and connecting and integration.”
Daily Draw will soon appear in Yahoo’s fantasy app and on its website too, giving those players another reason to stick around on the platform after the NFL regular season ends. The company has also teamed up with YouTube powerhouse MrBeast to promote the new offering; golden MrBeast cards randomly inserted into the digital packs will come with a $10,000 prize for eligible recipients.
“I also feel good that if you come to the Yahoo Sports app, you will have fun [playing Daily Draw], and then I’ve got to figure out how to get you over to draft a league,” Spoon said.
