Fantasy sports apps have become incredibly popular among online gaming lovers. And why not? In the past, sports fans could only watch their favorite teams play on TV. But now, with fantasy sports apps, they can create their own teams, predict outcomes, and earn exciting rewards.
When searching for the best fantasy sports apps online, you’ll find numerous options. Among them, one name that stands out is DraftKings, a highly successful app that has rapidly evolved from a small startup into a billion-dollar company. Its remarkable success story has inspired many businesses to develop a fantasy sports app like DraftKings.
Additionally, the fantasy sports market is projected to reach $71.24 billion by 2030, up from $37.28 billion in 2025. This rapid growth highlights that now is the perfect time to build your own app.
As there are already so many apps like DraftKings on the market, so to make a lasting impact, you’ll need to create something truly unique that captures attention. Wondering how to do that? Keep reading this blog until the end.
What Is Draftkings App?
DraftKings is a highly popular fantasy sports app where people can play fantasy sports and win exciting cash prizes. Basically, users can create their virtual teams using real players right in the app. Participants can compete against their friends and family, making the game engaging, and how players perform in real life determines the rewards.
Users can play a wide range of games in the DraftKings app, from football, basketball, to baseball. With about 4.8 million active users worldwide, DraftKings earned revenue of $4.7 billion in 2024 and is expected to reach approximately $6.1 billion by 2025.
Now let’s explore how does fantasy sports app DraftKings work:
To get started, users first download the DraftKings app and make an account. If they want to join paid contests, they’ll need to pay an entry fee.
Next, users pick a sport they like, such as football or basketball. Then, they build a fantasy team by choosing real-life players. They can pick different positions based on how well those players perform in actual games.
Once the team is ready, users enter contests. As the real games happen, their team earns points based on how well the players do. Users can adjust their teams or strategies anytime.
The better the players perform in real games, the higher the score. The points earned decide the rankings and how much money a user can win.
Top Reasons to Develop a Fantasy Sports App Like DraftsKings
You might be here because you want to invest in fantasy sports app development, but you’re unsure whether it’s the right decision. Yes, the market is crowded, but it’s also growing rapidly with huge potential for business success.
In this section, we’ll provide convincing reasons that will make it hard for you to resist developing fantasy sports apps like DraftKings.
1. Strong Market Demand
One of the top reasons to create an app like DraftKings is the booming demand of fantasy sports app. With over 100 million active users, the growing popularity of sports and mobile apps makes it a profitable business opportunity.
2. Boost User Engagement
Every business wants a high engagement rate for their apps, and fantasy sports apps make that achievable. These apps allow fans to manage virtual teams with real players, deepening their connection to the sport. This keeps users coming back to play, watch, and compete.
3. Diverse Revenue Streams
If you own a business in the sports industry, a clone app like DraftKings gives you the opportunity to earn money from different sources. By offering various contests and features, you can earn through ads, entry fees, and more.
4. Increase Brand Awareness
A fantasy sports betting app like DraftKings helps improve your brand visibility. If people love using your app, they will recommend it to their friends and family. They will talk about it, spreading the word about your brand, which will ultimately benefit your business.
Understanding the Business Model of Apps Similar to DraftKings
Building apps like DraftKings can help you generate revenue from a wide range of sources. There are different types of monetization models you can choose from, which we will discuss in the table below:
| Business Model | Description |
| Subscription Model | Apps like DraftKings charge users a regular fee, like monthly or yearly, to access advanced features of the app and get an ad-free experience. |
| Contest Entry Fees | The app takes a small percentage from the fees people pay to join contests, and the rest goes into the prize pool for winners. |
| Advertising | Ads from other brands are displayed in the app, and it makes money when people see or click on the ads. The ads are placed carefully so they don’t ruin the user experience. |
| Sports Betting | The fantasy sports app takes a commission on each bet placed. It’s basically the difference between the money people bet and what the winners get paid. |
How AI Is Transforming Fantasy Sports App?
Integration of AI in fantasy sports apps like DraftKings has completely transformed these apps, taking user experience to the next level. It helps users make better gaming decisions, provides personalized recommendations, and improves how users interact with the app.
Artificial intelligence has made these apps smarter and more fun to use; as a result, businesses are eager to implement AI features in their fantasy sports apps similar to DraftKings.
Let’s explore how AI is revolutionizing apps like DraftKings:
- AI analyzes real-time data to predict player performances helping them make smarter decisions, making the game more engaging.
- AI smartly detects unusual behavior in the game, such as players teaming up unfairly, ensuring the game is fair for everyone
- AI learns what users like and gives them personalized suggestions. It also assist users improve their performance by offering tips and tutorials, which keeps them coming back to play.
Must-Have Features of Sports Betting Apps Like DraftKings
As you know, DraftKings has already established a strong presence in the industry. To compete effectively, your clone app like DraftKings should be even better in every aspect, from design to features.
In the below table, we will discuss the key features to integrate in DraftKings like app.
| Feature | Description |
| User Sign-Up | Allow users to easily create their profile in the app by signing up with their email ID, phone number, or social media accounts. |
| Team Creation And Management | Enable participants to create their team and easily adjust it before or during the game. |
| Live Score And Updates | Instant score updates and player stats during games keep users engaged and excited. |
| Real-Time Chat | This feature assist users to chat with friends and opponents during live matches. |
| Player Details | Shows detailed player data and past performances to help users make smart choices. |
| Multiple Sports & Leagues | Your app like DraftKings on iOS & Android should offer a variety of sports, such as football, basketball, and baseball. |
| Multiple Payment Options | Integrate multiple, safe and easy payment options for users to enter contests and make transactions. |
| Social Sharing | This functionally allows app users to share game results on their social media handles. |
Advanced Features to Integrate in Clone App Like DraftsKings
The above-mentioned features of fantasy sports app are must-haves to smoothly run your app, but to truly stand out, you need to incorporate innovative features that other apps don’t offer yet. This will definitely help you get the attention and praise your app similar to DraftKings deserves.
Let’s have a look at the advanced features to develop an app like DraftKings.
| Feature | Description |
| AI-Powered Player Suggestion | Incorporate AI to recommend the best players to add to the team based on data and trends. |
| Gamification | Adds levels, badges, and rewards to keep users engaged and increase participation. |
| AR And VR | Use AR and VR to deliver immersive experiences, making participants feel they are a part of a real game. |
| Predictive Analytics | This feature will help app users better predict player performances and game outcomes. |
| Voice Assistant | Voice commands help app users with tasks like creating teams or getting scores easily, without the need for typing. |
Tech Stack to Develop App Like Draftkings
To build a top-quality, secure, and scalable app, you have to choose the right tech stack for fantasy sports app. If you select the wrong tools & technologies, it can result in poor app performance, development delays, and high costs to develop applications like DraftKings.
The tech stack usually depends on the project needs, but the tech stack that a top fantasy sports app development firm utilizes includes:
Frontend: React Native, Flutter, HTML, Swift
Backend: Python, Java, Node.js
Database: PostgreSQL, MongoDB
App Frameworks: Angular, Vue,js, jQuery
Payment Integration: Stripe, Razorpay
Cloud Services: AWS, Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure
How to Build a Fantasy Sports App Like Draftkings?
To ensure that your app receives the same level of love and appreciation as DraftKings, you must pay close attention to the process to develop an app like DraftKings. A small mistake or missed detail can cost you. But don’t worry if you’re not familiar with the technical side of building a fantasy sports app, hire dedicated developers, and they’ll handle the entire development process for you.
Let’s explore the key steps involved in creating an app like DraftKings.
1. Market Research and Competitor Analysis
Before you start, it’s crucial to conduct thorough market research. This will help you understand whether your app will be viable in the market. Identify the purpose your app will serve and your target audience. It’s also important to check the legal status of fantasy sports apps in your region. Analyze competitors like DraftKings and FanDuel, find out what makes them successful, what their USPs are, and what users like or dislike about them.
Read Also: How Apps Like DraftKings & FanDuel Transform Sports Industry?
2. Identifying Key Features
Choosing the right features is essential for your app’s success. The features you select will directly impact app performance and user experience. If your app similar to DraftKings lacks engaging features like live scorecards or easy team creation, users will quickly abandon it for a competitor. Be careful when selecting features, and if you’re unsure, consult with experienced mobile app developers.
3. UI/UX Designing
In this stage, UI/UX designers start working on the user experience and user interface of your app similar to DraftKings. Investing in high-quality UI/UX design services is important because it directly affects user engagement and satisfaction. Designers also create detailed wireframes to show the layout of each screen. They will also design an interactive prototype to demonstrate how the app will function before the full fantasy sports app development process begins.
4. DraftKings Like App Development
Fantasy sports app developers begin building the frontend and backend of your app. They use the best technologies and app development frameworks to create a fantasy sports app like DraftKings while writing clean, high-quality, and error-free code. To enhance your app’s functionality, developers also build and integrate custom APIs. They ensure the app is fully secure, scalable, and capable of handling future user demands.
5. Testing and Launch
Once development is complete, the app is handed over to QA engineers for testing. They perform thorough checks to evaluate user experience, identify bugs, and detect any security issues. If problems are found, they are fixed immediately. After testers confirm that the app is secure and bug-free, you can proceed with the launch. Even after deployment, it’s important to monitor the app’s performance, review user feedback, and make improvements as needed.
What is The Cost of Creating an App Like Draftkings?
The cost to develop a fantasy sports app like DraftKings is among the top few things that come to mind when you decide to create an app. It is quite natural, as it requires a significant investment. It is vital to understand that the cost to make an app like DraftKings is influenced by a number of factors, which are:
- Project scope
- App complexity
- Platform selected
- Number of features
- UI/UX design
- Third-party integrations
- Fantasy sports app developer’s location, etc.
After evaluating all these factors, the cost is calculated. The ballpark figure to build fantasy sports apps like DraftKings you can expect is from $10,000 to $100 ,000+. The cost to develop an app like DraftKings fantasy with simple features will be less than a complex app with advanced features. Moreover, it is always best to build an MVP first; it will help you test your app idea and also assist you in investing money wisely.
In the table below, let’s break down the cost of developing fantasy sports apps like DraftKings of different complexity levels.
Estimated Cost to Build an App Like Draftkings |
|
|---|---|
| App Type | Average Cost |
| Simple App | $10,000 to $50,000 |
| Moderate App | $50,000 to $1,00,000 |
| Advanced Level App | $1,00,000+ |
To get a custom quote, feel free to get in touch with the team at Helpful Insight or try using our cost calculator.
Partner with Helpful Insight to Build Popular Apps Like DraftKings
The demand for fantasy sports applications is growing rapidly and shows no signs of slowing down. For entrepreneurs looking for a high-revenue, consistent-growth opportunity, the fantasy sports app market is ideal. These apps allow you to turn people’s passion for fantasy sports into a profitable business with strong revenue potential.
If you’ve decided to enter this market but aren’t sure where to start, partner with our expert fantasy sports app development company. At Helpful Insight, we know how to develop a fantasy sports app like DraftKings at the back of our hand and are fully equipped to help you succeed.
We are a leading provider of end-to-end fantasy sports app development services in the USA. We help businesses build secure, high-quality, and innovative apps like DraftKings. Our team of qualified fantasy sports app developers has years of hands-on expertise in building apps for both Android and iOS platforms.
Whether you want an app like DraftKings or any other popular app, we don’t just create clones, we build apps that can compete with market leaders.
Moreover, at Helpful Insight you get:
- Customised Solutions
- Cost-Effective Services
- Faster-Time-To Market
- Dedicated Post-Launch Support
So, don’t wait! Share your app idea with us, and let’s create a profitable fantasy sports app like DraftKings for you.
FAQs
The timeline to develop a similar app like DraftKings is influenced by a broad range of factors, including the level of customization, feature complexity, UI/UX design, third-party integrations, and app testing. This makes it a bit difficult to provide accurate timeline details without having any information about your project.
But don’t worry, once you share the requirements with us, we will equip you with complete timeline details and deliver your project on time.
Well, in most countries, fantasy sports apps are legal, but in some parts of the world, like India, they are not. So, it’s best to cross-check with your country’s specific regulations.
FanDuel, BetMGM, ESPN BET, and Sleeper are some of the best apps like DraftKings.
When creating apps similar to DraftKings fantasy ports app developers face certain challenges like:
- Building a huge database to manage real-time data.
- Sourcing high-quality and reliable data is difficult and expensive too.
- Ensuring users’ valuable data security.
- Scaling the fantasy sports app as user base grows.
