How To Develop An App Like Underdog: A Complete Guide

The craze of fantasy sports is reaching its peak in the market. Millions of people worldwide prefer to engage in fantasy sports, depending on their particular game preferences. 

When it comes to fantasy apps, there are a lot of them that have made an impact on the market. Underdog fantasy is one among them.

The platform has carved a niche in the competitive market with its unique value proposition. 

If you are someone who wants to enter the industry and desires to create an app like Underdog Fantasy, then you have just arrived on the right platform. 

Here, along with determining the right steps to build an app like Underdog Fantasy, we will evaluate the features, monetization strategies, challenges, and costs. 

Let’s begin the journey together. 

About Underdog Fantasy and Its Statistics

Underdog Fantasy Sports is an online daily fantasy website and app that is legal in many states of the U.S.

It is a platform that is well known for having some of the largest and best ball contests in the industry. 

The platform claims to excel in many different things. Here, a visually appealing UI and a lightweight mobile application both combine to create a visually appealing bundle which further makes it simple for newcomers as well as veterans to get right to the action. 

The platform is one of the fastest-growing sports companies in the market. It has more than 1 million downloads. 

Now, let’s evaluate the current fantasy sports app market on the given points. 

• In May 2024, the market size of the fantasy service sector within the United States was 10.3 billion U.S. dollars.

• Additionally, over 100,000 thousand workers were employed in the sector. 
• The size of the fantasy sports market size was estimated at USD 37.28 billion in the year 2025 and can reach USD 71.24 billion by the year 2030.

• When it comes to Underdog Fantasy, the platform is rapidly growing. Active users on the platform have exceeded 2.4 million, with most of the growth comes within the states without sports betting like Texas and California. 
• The estimated revenue of the Underdog fantasy app is currently $73.4 million per year. Along with this, the estimated revenue per employee is $200,000. 

These are all important stats that you should evaluate when developing an app like Underdog Fantasy. 

Now, after evaluating the stats and learning about the app, it’s time to consider its working procedure in the next section. 

How Does Underdog Fantasy Work?

Before you jump into developing an app like Underdog Fantasy, it’s essential to evaluate the working process. 

Here are the steps to consider.

1. Download and Install

Users can download the app from the Play Store or Apple Store based on their requirements.

They can install the app and then make a profile after including all the details about their liking for fantasy sports, the type of sports they prefer, and the players with whom they want to play.

2. Create a Team or Join a League

Under this step, the users can develop a team or even join one league based on their considerations.

This step is all about creating a team of players, being a manager or commissioner in the game, or continuing with the leagues already developed by other players. 

3. Playing Favorite Sports

Now, the users can continue playing their favorite sports with the app. Here the users can enter so many contests, or spend too much on entry fees, according to their preferences.

Here, users can set responsible limits and may also allow them to still play within the parameters they set. 

4. Win and Review

With their performance within the gameplay, the users can successfully see their reviews on the display board. Along with this, based on their performance, the users can win rewards.

Additionally, the users can provide reviews of the app according to their experience. These reviews help the apps to enhance their overall performance. 

These were the steps to undertake to create an app like Underdog. Now, you can explore the key features to include within an app like Underdog Fantasy within the given sections. 

Key Features to Include in an App Like Underdog Fantasy

What are the features to include within an app like Underdog Fantasy?

The fantasy app features to include in your dream app are defined below. 

► Profile Creation

One of the crucial determinants here is profile creation. Here, users can add all the important details about names, favorite features, and more.

This will help them to mention all the crucial determinants that will assist in identifying their position among the other players. 

► Dashboard

Over the dashboard, the users can check their rank which will further help them to make effective strategies so that they can win the next league or game.

The dashboard can help to find all the user’s activities and for creating the future.

► Real-Time Updates

The app should provide real-time updates that further refer to the swift and instantaneous information distribution as it occurs or is generated after ensuring that the end-users receive the most updated data without any kind of delay. 

► Social Sharing

Social media integration within the app can be helpful to users for sharing their gameplay with friends and family. This feature allows the users to even engage their friends.

It will help perform word-of-mouth publishing. 

► Payment Integration

You can integrate APIs within the fantasy app. It will be helpful to the users to successfully pay or receive rewards by integrating their bank accounts securely.

This feature is embedded in an app to create a seamless user experience. 

► Push Notification

With the feature of push notifications, users can get real-time updates about their current players. Here they can get a short message that will appear as a pop-up on your app.

It will be helpful to make decisions or change decisions while playing based on the current performances of the players on the ground. 

► User-Friendly Interface

The app should have a user-friendly interface that can attract and engage users in the long run.

It is a software interface where the users can simply understand and navigate via the application. It should be attractive and simple. 

► Live Game Feeds

It is important for the users to successfully include live game feeds. Through live streaming, the viewers can successfully watch experienced and even entertaining video game players by immersing themselves in a virtual audience of like-minded people. 

► AR/VR Features

It is important to include the recent AR/VR trends within an app to enhance the overall experience of the users.

These trends can help display the real performance of the users through AR and VR which will enable users to continue playing. 

These are some of the common features that you can implement while building an app like Underdog Fantasy. 

Well, till now, we have evaluated the working procedure along with the features to include within an app like Underdog. 

Now, let’s consider the steps to build an app like Underdog Fantasy in the following section. 

Steps to Develop an App Like Underdog Fantasy

How to build an app like Underdog Fantasy?

To build a fantasy sports app, you should know the suitable steps as per the aim and objective of your project. 

Step 1: Market Research and Value Proposition

Before you continue with the underdog fantasy, it’s essential to evaluate the current market. You should identify the current value of your app by examining its importance in the competitive landscape. 

Market research is one prime method through which you can proceed with the understanding of the target market, industry, competitors, as well as current trends. 

It is a detailed assessment of your business’s target market along with the competitive landscape within a specific industry.

This will be helpful to you for projecting the type of success that you might expect while introducing your brand as well as its products to the consumers in the market. 

Step 2: Identifying and Implementing the Features

It’s essential to identify as well as implement the features within an app that will address the issues of the targeted users.

To select the top features, you should evolve the project aim and objective. 

Additionally, it’s significant for you to identify the features after considering their actual needs and preferences.

Features that can be included within the app include user registration, roster management, live scoring updates, and drafting teams. 

Based on the aim and objective of your app, the features can vary accordingly. These are the blood of your app, thus they need to be selected and implemented wisely. 

Step 3: Create an MVP

Have you launched an MVP (Minimum Valuable Product) version of your app? Well, if not, then it’s the right and important time to perform such a task.

By building an MVP, you can minimize the cost spent to build a complete app like Underdog Fantasy.

This step can save costs by identifying the value of your app in the competitive market. 

This will provide you with an idea of how many different features you need to include in the app, and how many changes you need to include within it for engaging the large audience.

You should build an MVP to save your cost. 

Step 4: Design Your Fantasy App

Now, let’s proceed with UI/UX app design for your dream application. With this step, you can visualize your complete app and how it will look after its completion. 

It’s essential to build a wireframe that will help structure your app. By creating a wireframe, you can identify what type of color or theme will be suitable to create an app like Underdog Fantasy.

You can design a fantasy sports app by examining the competitive market.

Step 5: Build Tech Stack

After designing the app, here comes the tech stack. It’s all about including the types of technologies and frameworks that can help you support the back end of your app.

It’s all about defining the collection of software services along with programming languages that will make up your app like Underdog Fantasy. 

You need to select the type of technology that can provide your app with complete support and enhance its overall performance.

In this step, you need to discuss with your developer’s team frameworks, programming languages, libraries, and other tools helpful to build an app like Undergo Fantasy. 

Step 6: Develop the Complete App

You should combine all the steps and now it’s time to develop the complete app. You need to evaluate the type of platform here, on which you are going to launch it further. 

Whether it’s Android, iOS, or Hybrid, you should prepare the app accordingly. This will be helpful to reach the target audience and serve the purpose for which an app has been created. 

After analyzing the platform, you can combine the steps and create the final app to proceed with final testing. 

Step 7: App Testing

Mobile app testing is a continuous step until the final launch. However, when you complete the app development process, it becomes a compulsion. 

Under this step, you should conduct rigorous testing to identify the bugs and errors that might impact the user’s experience. 

This step is important for encountering critical bugs on the device and even for identifying any errors that might affect functions and overall app performance. 

Step 8: Deploy, Launch and Maintain

Now it’s time to deploy your app over the selected platforms. You should identify the target audience, evaluate the current market, then deploy the app over the platforms accordingly. 

Well, your tasks don’t end here, you should proceed with the mobile app maintenance services. Why not?

There are many reasons to consider such as it helps to enhance the scalability and security of your app, ensuring that your app should remain secure for addressing the growing user’s demands and mitigating future errors. 

These were some of the steps to consider while creating an app like Underdog Fantasy.

Now, if you are still bothered about the technologies to include within an app, then the following section might help.

Key Technologies for Developing an App Like Underdog Fantasy

After identifying the steps to create an app like Underdog Fantasy, if you are puzzled about the tech stack, this section states it all. 

Here’s a table that describes the fantasy app tech stack. 

These technologies play a significant role in building an app like Underdog Fantasy. Well, such tech can be molded based on the aim and objective of your app. 

Well, in the process of creating an app like Underdog Fantasy, it’s time to evaluate the costs in the following section. 

Cost to Build an App Like Underdog Fantasy

How much does it cost to make a fantasy sports app?

Well, on average the cost to develop an app like Underdog Fantasy ranges from $20,000 to $150,000. The cost can be impacted via different determinants such as the complexity of the app, design, technology stack, maintenance, and the team of developers. 

Are you ready to study them all in the next section?

Let’s proceed. 

What are the Factors Impacting the Cost to Develop an App Like Underdog Fantasy?

Identifying and learning about the cost figure isn’t sufficient until you evaluate the types of factors affecting the same. 

Here’s a list that may be helpful.

♦ App Size and Complexity

Under the factor of app complexity, the number of screens, integrations, and features might impact the complete cost to make an app like Underdog Fantasy. 

Other than this, an app with a large app size will require a high cost and vice-versa. You should evaluate whether simple apps demand additional testing, coding, and even optimization efforts. Here the cost can vary from $2000 to $10,000. 

♦ App Design

The cost to design an app has an impact on the total costs. Here the cost will vary according to the structure of the app, complexity of design, and features.

A comprehensive analysis of the cost drivers for a design should leverage an intricate design that can have a large impact on the engagement of the users.

Here the cost can vary from $5000 to $15,000. 

♦ Technology Stack

The type of tech selected for the app has a huge impact on the usability and even on the user’s experience.

Under this step, the types of technologies that should be included are Node.js, PHP, and several others. 

Similarly, the type of cloud platform will have a huge impact on creating an app like Underdog Fantasy. Here the cost can vary from $5000 to $20,000. 

♦ Team of Developers

When you enter the industry of fantasy sports, it’s important to connect with a team of developers. Here there are two important factors to consider comprising of location and expertise of the developers. 

If you hire developers from the United States, then the cost figure might vary from $15,000 to $150,000.

However, when hiring developers from Asia, the cost can be from $30,000 to $300,000 in the case of professional experts. 

♦ Choice of Platforms

You have to invest a high amount over a variety of platforms. It’s important to note that the cost of building an app for a single platform will cost you more than launching the app over the two platforms in the long term. 

The cost to build an Android app can vary from $10,000 to $40,000. This can even increase for Hybrid platforms.

However, if you wish to rebuild the app for a particular platform after launching it on another before, then it will cost you almost double later. 

♦ Security and Maintenance Costs

Did you know that security and maintenance costs lie from 15% to 20% of the total cost of creating an app like Underdog Fantasy?

The security and maintenance cost will depend on the tools you include for proceeding with the same.

This cost is associated with the operations and implementation of technology within the app. Here the cost can vary from $3000 to $15,000. 

These are some of the factors that you should consider before deciding on the cost of building an app like Underdog Fantasy. 

Now, as we proceed further, you should examine and evaluate the types of challenges while building an app like Underdog Fantasy. 

Learn more about the same in the following section. 

Challenges in Developing an App Like Underdog Fantasy

When you create an app like Underdog Fantasy, there can be times when certain challenges might develop obstacles. 

Well, let’s consider the given list of mistakes to avoid while developing a fantasy app. 

➤ Legal Compliance Issues

Many regions don’t allow fantasy apps for the actual users. Thus, if you are in the field of fantasy apps, you should identify the legal factors that have a huge impact on such a network.

This can hamper the complete productivity of the business. 

➤ Poor App Design Interface

Does your fantasy sports app have a poor design? Poor design will shift users to competitors’ apps.

This will affect the overall productivity and can even lead to lost sales opportunities that further result in increased customer support expenses. 

➤ Lack of User Engagement

Is your app not sufficient to engage the target crowd? Well, there can be a lot of reasons including the poor technology stack, complicated sign-ups, intrusive ads, and not enough feature optimization. 

➤ Overbuilding of Features

Including too many features within the app will lead to impacting the complete performance of your app. This can even result in app crashes or slow performance of the features.

Thus, it can further lead to shift the users towards competitors. 

➤ Improper Market Research

If you avoid market analysis, then this can be your last mistake. Ignoring about learning the right audience can result in losing all the resources to build an app like Underdog Fantasy.

Thus, it’s vital to know about the current market, competitors, and environment before the launch. 

These are the critical challenges that you should be bothered with, before proceeding with developing an app like Underdog fantasy. 

Till now, we have discussed the concept and market stats, steps to develop an app like underdog fantasy, challenges, features, cost, and its factors. 

Now, it’s time to evaluate the proper monetization strategies that will help you earn money via the app. 

Let’s proceed with the next section for the same. 

How Does Underdog Fantasy Make Money?

What are the top monetization strategies for fantasy apps to consider?

Well, here’s a list of effective mobile app monetization strategies that might be helpful in this respect.

• Entry and Contest Fees

You can include minimal entry or contest fees within your app to attract and retain users. This will add value to your app and can further help you to make money.

It can become one of the major earning sources to earn money from the users. However, you cannot put a fee for every contest or league. 

• Advertising

In-app advertising is an important determinant of having a permanent source of income. It enables the developers to monetize their apps by allowing them to serve ads to the targeted users. 

• Subscription Plans

You can include subscription plans within your app like Underdog Fantasy. This can help identify what the users prefer. Along with this, you can opt for a variety of subscription-based plans which will assist you to attract the target audience. 

• In-App Purchases

Another potential monetization strategy to include while building an app like Underdog is in-app purchases.

Here the users will be willing to buy the different variety of features depending on their requirement to play a certain match or contest. 

• Data Monetization

You should proceed with data monetization as an important money-making strategy. Here all you need is to collect the user’s data via the app such as their preference of playing the game and the type of sports that they prefer.

It’s important to get consent from the users before you opt for a monetization framework. 

These are certain efficient monetization strategies that you should proceed with before jumping to build an app like Underdog Fantasy. 

How Nimble AppGenie Can Help You Develop an App Like Underdog Fantasy

Well, we understand that in this competitive landscape, selecting one significant company to trust with all your resources can be difficult. 

However, with Nimble AppGenie, you can hand over all your worries to their app developers. Starting from conducting market research, to selecting effective features, to the app launch, the team is efficient enough to perform all the tasks successfully. 

We are the leading Fantasy Sports App Development Company and we have already done this before. Hence, selecting an experienced team of developers will help you to lead the industry. 

Here’s a brief of our work to get a glimpse. 

The Executioner League is an app developed by our team that is focused on transforming the manner through which people experience fantasy sports.

It is an app that helps people create and join leagues after drafting teams for a variety of matches. 

Conclusion

When you enter the industry of fantasy apps, you might be wondering about the process you can follow within the business.

Thus, it becomes a significant task to identify the right number of steps to build an app like Underdog Fantasy. It is one of the popular apps that helps to engage a large number of audience. 

Other than this, you can include different features within the app such as real-time analytics, push notifications, profile creation, a dashboard, payment integration, and social sharing networks.

Apart from these features, you should avoid the challenges to build an app like Underdog such as legal compliance issues, lack of user engagement, improper market research, and many others. 

Connecting with an experienced company can help you here for proceeding with monetization strategies and even convert your dream app into reality.

FAQs

Niketan Sharma

Niketan Sharma is the CTO of Nimble AppGenie, a prominent website and mobile app development company in the USA that is delivering excellence with a commitment to boosting business growth & maximizing customer satisfaction. He is a highly motivated individual who helps SMEs and startups grow in this dynamic market with the latest technology and innovation.