Fantasy sports have become as ingrained in American culture as baseball and apple pie. And they have spread worldwide. There are versions of these games for football, baseball, basketball, hockey, soccer, cricket, bull riding, bass fishing, Iditarod and many more. It is one of the most popular forms of entertainment today.But the millions who play mostly have no idea about the people and events that created this phenomenon. The History of Fantasy Sports provides the first complete telling of how we got from the spontaneous ideas for games years ago, to the multi-billion-dollar industry of today.Larry Schechter spent 18 months researching and interviewing dozens of key players, pioneers, and entrepreneurs to uncover their stories. This reader-friendly book is ready to take its place alongside some of the best in sports history. You will be entertained and inspired by these stories of humble beginnings turned multi-million-dollar enterprises. Schechter does a great job of capturing the passion, obsession, and love of the game behind these businesses. and "Exhaustively researched, this is the most detailed history of the fantasy sports industry. Despite spending my entire career in the industry, I was enlightened by all the interviews and countless stories throughout the book. and " PAUL CHARCHIAN, President of the Fantasy Sports Trade Association, 2009-2020″This is the definitive history of fantasy sports, capturing the personal stories and business trajectories of the many competing startups and eventual power players. Larry Schechter brings remarkable detail to the then-and-now dynamic of fantasy, from the bootstrapped early years to the multi-billion dollar industry it is today." JOE LEMIRE, Sports Business Journal"Larry regales us with colorful accounts, many of them direct from the source. This is a must-read for any passionate fantasy sports fan." TRISTAN COCKCROFT, ESPN.com Senior Fantasy Sports Writer"The History of Fantasy Sports is a fun look back at how fantasy sports has grown from its infancy into the absolute monster that it is today." MICHAEL FABIANO, Senior Fantasy Analyst for Sports Illustrated."Larry craftily guides readers through fantasy's ascension in vivid detail. The History of Fantasy Sports is a comprehensive breakdown of the movers, shakers and deal makers in a hobby that's transcended sports." BRAD EVANS, Co-Founder of The Gaming Juice and long time Yahoo senior fantasy writerContentsPreface1. In the Beginning2. The Origins of Fantasy Baseball3. The Origins of Fantasy Football4. The First Commercial Games5. Newspaper Games6. CDM Sports and the Landmark Legal Case7. First Fantasy Sports Publications8. First Fantasy Sports Books9. Advanced Metrics10. Commissioner Services11. Fantasy Radio and TV Shows12. News Services13. First Football Websites 14. High-Stakes Games15. Major Media Companies16. The Fantasy Sports Trade Association17. Legal Battles and Legislation18. Injury Experts19. Innovative Entrepreneurs20. Experts Leagues 21. Daily Fantasy Sports22. Fantasy Sports Worldwide EpilogueBibliography