Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Markets are the Name of the Game
The sites work to offer content that is geared toward local markets of super-fandom – in order to bypass national sporting news, but provide the quality of content that is expected from the original. The idea was to put centrally-located options for fans in the cities themselves, suburbs, and transplant fans.
In order to keep the standards of ESPN, the site developers searched for reporters and feature writers that have a history in the city and a strong value in sports reporting. This included nabbing staff from local newspapers and websites, and offering them the most coveted job in sports, working for ESPN.
Working as their own miniature version of SportsCenter, the sites provide clips of news – in the familiar format – allowing for centralized content that may not have gotten the same attention on the national version. We’ve all been there: casually turning on SportsCenter as you’re getting ready for your day, anticipating if the best play from the game will appear on “Top 10” or seeing what they’re going to say about the latest trade rumors for your local team. You scan the side bar to see when you’re favorite is going to be highlighted and the ticker has never moved slower. What about scanning ESPN’s posts online, just to see your team is not featured? Don’t worry, ESPN felt your pain, and it’s just what the doctor ordered.
The five sites that are in place were selected because of their market power and the fact that affiliated infrastructures were already in place. For example, Chicago teamed up with their ESPN radio affiliate, and Boston partnered with a local advertising company.
ESPN may have engaged in this process in a little backward but the idea of backing into a goldmine does not seem to phase them. More markets are reportedly in the works – so look out Philly – we’re probably one of them, since ESPN950/97.5 The Fanatic has been fighting for sports radio’s top spot on the local airwaves and our sports fans are insatiable, not to mention we’re one of the largest markets in the country.
It seems the selection process for the cities has relied solely on ease of transition, but it would be assumed fan bases played into it as well. The competitive nature of local sites by national providers also rushed the process, as both Comcast and FOX Sports have revamped locally-based sites (New England, Philadelphia, D.C., Baltimore, to name a few).
The move seems to work for long-term survival for all parties. The content generated beats out local bloggers that focus on the nuances of the game and provide access that may not be otherwise realized. The understanding that this local component of a national outlet can only support, rather than detract viewers is a key piece for ESPN. The use of existing affiliates to work to their advantage, as well as hand-picking contributors from competitors, allows ESPN to remain the worldwide leader in sports, even on the local level.
-MiaTweet
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