Patent Publication Number: US-2005116422-A1

Title: Fantasy sports championship prize system

Description:
The present invention claim priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/500,476, filed Sep. 5, 2003, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention relates to systems for conducting fantasy sports tournaments and related games. In particular, the present invention relates to systems and methods for rewarding and compensating winners of fantasy sports tournaments and related games.  
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      Fantasy sports games have become immensely popular, particularly with the emergence of the Internet and the ability of large numbers of people with common interests at different geographic locations to compete in interactive fantasy sports gaming. Certain fantasy sports games are played for free, where the winner simply emerges from the game with the pride of victory. Other fantasy sports games require an entrance fee and provide cash prizes to the winners-sometimes substantially large prizes. As fantasy sports gaming becomes more popular and as additional participants enter fantasy gaming, each with their own incentives for playing, new systems and methods for entertaining and rewarding the numerous and diverse types of players are needed. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  shows prize designs in some embodiments of the present invention.  
       FIG. 2  shows prize designs in some embodiments of the present invention. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention relates to systems for conducting fantasy sports tournaments and related games. In particular, the present invention relates to systems and methods for rewarding and compensating winners of fantasy sports tournaments and related games.  
      Research conducted during the development of the present invention found that more than 15 million American adults have played fantasy sports during the year prior the filing of priority application 60/500,476 with more than 12 million adults expected to play fantasy football the following fall according to a survey conducted for the Fantasy Sports Trade Association. The survey also showed that in the year prior the filing of priority application 60/500,476, 7.2 percent of all adult Americans played fantasy sports with 78 percent of those participants playing fantasy football. The average fantasy football participant has been playing for six years, checks the teams online at work regularly, spends almost 3 hours a week managing the teams and is more likely to become even more involved in this hobby in the future.  
      The demographics of all fantasy players paints an upscale profile: average age is 37, average household size is 2.7, average annual household income is over $76,000 and over 90% of players are male. The University of Mississippi, which conducted the demographic survey in 2002, projects an 11.5% growth rate for football this year, meaning that hundreds of millions of dollars will be generated in 2003 through this growing industry.  
      In some embodiments, the present invention provides systems and methods for rewarding winners and participants of fantasy sports games with non-cash prizes to increase the reward of victory and/or to memorialize the participation in the tournament. In some such preferred embodiments, the prizes memorialize and personalize the tournament, to provide a long-term memory of the event, whereby a prize (e.g., a ring or other prize) comprises written or pictorial materials indicating one or more characteristics of the tournament, the participants, and/or the outcome. The use of such systems and methods also finds use as a marketing technique for increasing interest in the tournament (e.g., to increase interest in tournaments that do not have cash prizes and/or that do not have entrance fees). Certain illustrative, non-limiting embodiments of the invention are described in more detail below. A number of additional configurations will be apparent in view of the present disclosure.  
      Through the use of printed advertisement in several fantasy football publications and electronic advertising on several websites one can create awareness and excitement about owning a championship prize. In preferred embodiments, the prize is a ring, as the public is already familiar with rings—especially those won by major sports champions. Each fantasy league is able to purchase and design their own special championship ring through an ordering website. When at the website, the league commissioner has the ability to choose from several sport designs on the sides of the ring, personalize with league name, choose a stone color, enhance the top of the ring with additional ornamentation, inside engraving opportunities as well. In some embodiments, the advertising would also promote the cost of the ring (e.g., being only $20 per player) as a way of marketing the ring at an affordable price and an attractive offer. Another advantage of this system is the ability to offer free resizing so the ring would then become a “traveling trophy” for each league champion to wear with pride and have bragging rights by showing off the ring. Alternatively, a new championship ring could be year dated and ordered every year. Examples of novel rings designs are shown in the figures.  
      Various modifications and variations of the described method and system of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Although the invention has been described in connection with specific preferred embodiments, it should be understood that the invention as claimed should not be unduly limited to such specific embodiments. Indeed, various modifications of the described modes for carrying out the invention that are obvious to those skilled in the relevant fields are intended to be within the scope of the present invention.