The American Fotball Association of Finland has entered into a partnership with the Austrian company PickYourSquad to implement an online fantasy football game for the men’s and women’s Maple Leagues. The virtual fantasy football concept has gained significant popularity in the United States. The Austrian startup is building its own fantasy gaming platform in Europe, not only for American football but also for other sports.

Fantasy football is a virtual American football game where participants act as coaches, selecting players from real league teams for their own fantasy teams. Participants compete throughout the season by earning points based on the actual performances of their chosen players in league matches. Successful virtual coaches are rewarded with football-themed prizes throughout the season. In Finland, teams are built from players in the men’s and women’s Maple Leagues.

Janne Vainio, the Head of Communications of the Finnish American Football Association, is pleased that the Austrian company chose the Finnish Maple Leagues for the pilot of its American football version:

-In Finland, we have long invested in producing high-quality statistical data from our top leagues. Reliable statistics are crucial for the functionality of a fantasy football game. That’s why PickYourSquad wanted SAJL as its partner. At the same time, for the first time in Europe, the fantasy concept will be tested in a women’s American football series. The Women’s Maple League is the highest-quality women’s American football league in Europe, and we can now make its teams and star players more familiar to fans through the fantasy concept.

Max Marjanovic, the founder of PickYourSquad, commented on the partnership:

-We at PickYourSquad are very pleased to announce our partnership with the Finnish American Football Association. Our company’s goal is to create an intense gaming experience that combines online gaming with real sports leagues. The collaboration with the Maple Leagues brings American football fans in Finland closer to their favorite sport, creating an interactive and engaging experience for all players.

-The Finnish American Football Association is an optimal partner for our vision. In a digitizing society, sports must also keep up with developments by offering their audience new participatory experiences. In our gaming concept, viewers become fans and athletes become stars.

The Fantasy Maple League will initially be available only in English for players. Participation is free of charge. In addition to Finnish leagues, the service will be piloted with statistics from the American football leagues in Austria and Serbia. PickYourSquad began implementing its service in 2022 by offering a fantasy game for volleyball leagues in Austria and Slovenia.

The Women’s Maple League kicks off on Saturday, May 6.

The Finnish Maple Leagues start in early May. The opening match of the Women’s Maple League between Turku Trojans and Helsinki Wolverines will be played on Saturday, May 6, at 17:30, with fantasy play set to begin a week before kickoff. The opening game of the Men’s Maple League between Seinäjoki Crocodiles and Wasa Royals will be played on Thursday, May 11, at 18:30.

The available PickYourSquad fantasy leagues can be found at:   www.pickyoursquad.com