Yahoo is tying fantasy football leagues with live games this season to engage fans even further with their favorite teams.

The Yahoo Sports Fantasy Football 2011 experience will cover four screens this season ? smartphones, Web, live television and tablets. The platforms are scheduled to be ready for the first NFL game of the season.

?This is the first time that users can access the Fantasy Football platform no matter what device they?re using ? mobile phones, connected TVs, tablets or their computer,? said Carl Teeple, North America product lead of mobile media products at Yahoo, Sunnyvale, CA.

?Yahoo Fantasy Football is delivering an experience that is easy to use, comprehensive, and credible,? he said.

In the game
For the upcoming 2011 NFL season, football fans will be able to manage their fantasy league rosters across all platforms. Users can also access real-time scores, stats and breaking news on their mobile devices.

Additionally, users can get fantasy football advice from industry experts Brandon Funston, Andy Behrens and Brad Evans.

Yahoo Sports is hoping that by bundling the fantasy leagues across multiple platforms, the company will continue to see an increase in mobile users.

According to Yahoo data, the number of mobile fantasy gamers double in 2010 compared to 2009.

The company has also conducted a survey that found that 76 percent of men use the Internet while at sporting events to check scores at other games and look up other sports information.

?Yahoo believes that delivering sports content on mobile devices is important so that people can follow their favorite players and teams no matter where they are, across every screen,? Mr. Teeple said.

?With the Fantasy Football tablet and mobile app, users can get real-time updates on their teams, no matter if they are in a stadium, watching the game from a bar or at a friend?s house,? he said.

Multi-screen experience
Yahoo Sports is an example of only one company engaging with sports fans on multiple platforms during live games.

The NHL has also devised a strategy that taps into hockey fans. Most recently , the company revealed that its GameCenter app has been downloaded more than two million times worldwide (see story).

?Mobile is key to Yahoo?s strategy of delivering deeply personal digital experiences,? Mr. Teeple said.

?With mobile access to the Web catching up to computer access, Yahoo is focused on creating innovative technology that provides a personalized and rich experience across devices, allowing consumers to discover what matters most to them on the computer, TV, tablets and mobile phones,? he said.

Final Take

Lauren Johnson is editorial assistant on Mobile Marketer, New York