• by Wayne Friedman , Staff Writer, October 12, 2015

What would happen if there were real money-losing entertainment fantasy leagues -- like those sports leagues?

Stories about sports daily fantasy leagues have occupied the headlines recently because of “insider trading” accusations, fostering some real consumer concerns.

Entertainment fantasy sites have been around for some time -- like The Hollywood Stock Exchange (HSX), where you can buy and sell movies and TV shows as if they were stocks. There are also fantasy leagues for reality TV shows.

But chiefly this is all about “gaming” -- the difference being, for HSX, that you can only win or lose with virtual dollars. Because sports fantasy leagues are where consumers can lose real money, some call it gambling. Sports fantasy leagues reps say it’s about “skill.”

Trouble is, unlike athletes, entertainment vehicles can be fleeting. New TV shows can only last weeks, or perhaps a few months, before disappearing. S, it’s hard to aggregate the “action” of a marketplace.

What new TV “stocks” are on the rise? On HSX, ABC’s “Quantico”  is now up to H$17 as of Oct. 8; it had been trading at H$10. NBC’s “Blindspot” also started at H$10., now up to H$20 on October 7. Those sinking include: ABC’s “Blood & Oil," which was at a high of H$14.41 on Sept. 9; now at H$12.27 as of Oct. 9.

Guessing the performance of theatrical movies is also big: Warner Bros’ “Pan,” opening this past week, has been trending down for some time -- to H$43.77 last Friday, from a high of H$115.18 in the past year.

Such games would surely spur more interest in entertainment properties. And when it comes to fantasy sports leagues, the likes of Fox Sports, Time Warner, Comcast and ESPN have investments in and/or major advertising partnerships.

To date, entertainment gaming hasn’t risen to the level of sports -- maybe because real dollars aren’t at stake. Still, it begs the question: Shouldn’t there be compelling, TV-related activities that viewers can participate in, perhaps rising to the order of those sports fantasy leagues?