ESPN calls it the 'Streak' in reboot of daily fantasy game

ESPN wants us all to Streak.

The sports network is launching Thursday a redesigned, renamed version of its daily fantasy game formerly known as Streak for the Cash. 

The free game, which enables players to win cash based on the length of their winning streak and how many wins they rack up in a month, will be featured inside ESPN's Fantasy app. Streak has new features, including avatars and emojis that show whether a player's on a "hot" or "cold" streak, and other snarky commentary that the company said will make it more fun and easier to play.  

Streak's premise is simple: Pick a winner from the various pro and college games scheduled on a particular day. If you win, your streak is on. You lose, too bad. Start over. For example, on Thursday I picked All-Star pitcher Zack Greinke and the Arizona Diamondbacks to beat the Marlins in Miami. We'll see what happens.  

The sports giant's reboot of Streak comes as it's trying to expand the game's fanbase, hoping to reach the heights of its popular Tournament Challenge during the NCAA basketball tournament in March. (A record-setting 19 million people played this year.) Though more than 1.25 million fans played Streak for the Cash and made more than 150 million total picks in 2016, an update was necessary, said George Leimer, ESPN's vice president of Fantasy Sports.

"While it's been one of our most popular games, it was time to give it a new look," he said. "We have a really loyal, core following and we think the upgrade we've given Streak will make it more fun and inviting to a wider base of users."

Streak players can win up $35,000 in cash prizes this month -- $25,000 will go to the player with the longest winning streak and $5,000 will go the player with the most wins in June. In another new feature, five players will get $1,000 each if they have a longer winning streak than ESPN NBA analyst and former All-Star Jalen Rose, who's this month's designated Streak "expert." 

Think of it as trying to beat the pro. Leimer said Rose, once known for his trash talk on the court, is game.

"Jalen's pretty excited about it," he said. "Good luck!" 

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