The NFL has expanded its annual media buyer fantasy football draft night into a three-day, fan-facing festival slated for Aug. 22-24 in N.Y. featuring daily seminars on fantasy football. The event, carrying a presenting sponsorship from DirecTV, is aimed in part at promoting NFL.com fantasy offerings, as well as the satellite TV distributor's "NFL Sunday Ticket," popular among fantasy players. Slated to appear are several former NFLers including Marcus Allen, Kordell Stewart, Eddie George, along with NFL.com and NFL Network talent. Footage from the event will run on both league media platforms. Free tickets will be distributed through NFL.com, with capacity at the Best Buy Theater capped at about 600 for each of the six separate sessions scheduled over three days. "This really seemed like the next logical step to take this event," said NFL Digital Media Dir of Programming & Production Tom Brady. "The DirecTV and NFL.com Fantasy tie-ins are complete lay-ups, and we think will become a regular part of the NFL calendar to celebrate the return of the season and the return of fantasy." Other corporate sponsors for the event include Sears, Marriott and Electronic Arts. The media buyer fantasy football draft, now in its seventh year as an invite-only event for league clients, remains part of the enlarged program and will be held Thursday.
