The Varsity Yahoo’s Big Sports Play
Aug 20, 2025
Ryan Spoon, president of Yahoo Media Group, discusses the launch of the Yahoo Sports Network and the strategic shift toward ad-supported content across various platforms. He shares insights on Yahoo's partnerships and innovative collaborations aimed at enhancing user engagement. Spoon highlights the evolution of fantasy sports, with new game formats set to attract a wider audience. He also talks about YahooSports.tv's purpose in delivering diverse original content to keep fans engaged as the sports media landscape continues to change.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Grow Engagement With New Game Formats
- Focus on getting fans to try new game formats rather than forcing them to switch platforms.
- Introduce features and formats that entice users to play an additional league or sport on Yahoo.
Feature Velocity Drives Fantasy Growth
- Yahoo scaled product and feature velocity to drive engagement and retention in fantasy.
- Daily feature drops and visual matchmaking aim to deepen habitual use without forcing migration.
Use Daily Formats To Capture Casual Fans
- Build easy-to-play daily formats to capture fans across sports and time zones.
- Use single-day games like Daily Draw to attract casual players to non-season sports.