At the end of the NFL regular season, it appears DraftKings has overtaken FanDuel as the top operator in daily fantasy sports.
Since launching in 2012, DraftKings’ ascent has been swift, but 2015 represented new levels of acceleration—and turbulence. FanDuel ended 2014 as the unquestioned leader in DFS, but signs of an eroding leadership position surfaced in the summer, when DraftKings’ partnership with Major League Baseball and the surging popularity of its golf contests gave the site considerable momentum.
Comprehensive numbers are unavailable, making definitive conclusions difficult, if not impossible, to reach. Nonetheless, the most recent data from SuperLobby.com paint a pretty clear picture.
Last weekend, the final Sunday of the NFL regular season, DraftKings brought in more entry fees from its guaranteed contests alone than FanDuel did from GPPs and cash games combined. It was the second consecutive week of similar results and despite its incompleteness, it’s perhaps the most definite proof to this point that DraftKings is the affirmed industry leader.
Daily NFL contests will continue into the playoffs on both sites in a somewhat stripped-down fashion. Prize pools have declined at most sites throughout the season as the industry became engulfed in turmoil and turned its attention (and expenses) away from marketing and toward legal defenses on numerous fronts across the country.
DraftKings’ Millionaire Maker, which began the season with a $10 million pot and $3 million total going to the top two placers, will run this weekend with a $3.5 million pool and a $1 million jackpot.
FanDuel has opted for smaller pools with a more progressive payout structure. Its largest NFL contest includes a $1.25 million pool with less than 10 percent ($120,000) going to first place.
Beyond the NFL, both sites are performing well in NBA contests. In the most recent figures from SuperLobby, FanDuel brought in $20.35 million in NBA entry fees (GPPs and cash games) between Dec. 16-22, while DraftKings grossed $13.64 million from GPPs. FanDuel had a net revenue of a little more than $2 million, while DraftKings’ was slightly less than $1.5 million.
Golf is also returning with its first tournament of 2016 this weekend. As of one hour before lineup lock, DraftKings appeared well on its way to filling or avoiding overlay in its guaranteed contests, providing a not-insignificant edge over FanDuel in immediate revenue.
FanDuel has shied away from DFS golf, citing legal concerns. As recently as September, company founder and CEO Nigel Eccel said he might reconsider, but given scrutiny now applied to the industry’s leading sites, that seems doubtful.