Fantasy football, the $7 billion industry

As the NFL season continues to get underway, millions of Americans are playing along in fantasy football leagues across the country. With the average fantasy player spending $556 in league-related costs, many companies stand to make significant profits this football season.

Engagement with fantasy sports is on the rise, according to the Fantasy Sports Trade Assocation. As of 2017, more than 59.3 million Americans and Canadians played fantasy sports, a over two fold increase from a decade prior.

Companies have found a variety of ways to tap into this large market. Sites such as Draftkings and Fanduel make billions on entry fees, as well as on advertising deals and endorsements. Other sites that offer free league options, such as ESPN, NFL and Yahoo, profit off of the increased ad revenue resulting from the higher traffic that these sites experience during football season, according to Quartz.

Fans also stand to make a hefty profit if they're lucky. Platforms such as Draftkings offer the opportunity for users to make more than $1 million with only a $20 buy-in.