ESPN casts a wide net in ads for new streaming app

Dive Brief:

ESPN recently released the second iteration of a multichannel campaign that originally launched last fall to promote its mobile app, Big Block told Marketing Dive. The new spots focus on ESPN+'s direct-to-consumer programming, how the app has been updated to support this service and targets several audiences beyond the traditional sports fan. The design and content studio worked with ESPN CreativeWorks on the campaign.
The campaign includes four 30-second spots for TV, as well as multiple shorter snippets for broadcast and web ads, which are being deployed nationwide.
The target audiences were broken into three main categories. The core group consists of fans that want to see more of their favorite sport. The niche/underserved sport segment includes those with limited or no access to sports like golf or international cricket and rugby. The niche/underserved team group targets fans who currently have limited or no access to the particular teams they really want to follow.

Dive Insight:

ESPN is casting its net beyond traditional sports fans as it struggles to remain relevant in an era of shifting consumer consumption and growing competition from streaming sites like Netflix and Amazon, as well as digital channels like Facebook, Twitter and other social media.

Last fall, ESPN introduced a new app and the "Fan's Best Friend" campaign, which focused on more traditional sports like football and soccer. More recently, the company introduced ESPN+, a subscription-based viewing service that lets fans pick and choose content when they want to watch it instead of being limited to viewing only during live game time. For $4.99 per month, subscribers can access original content, live sports and on-demand programming.

The company's latest ads feature the app's new user interface and highlight the range of content available through the streaming service. One spot is about high school students, while another ad surrounds an expat living in the U.S. who is now able to stream sports like soccer and rugby from overseas. The third is about professional women that love sports. The final ad is about a young father that's up around the clock with a baby, and uses the app to stay in touch with his teams during the odd hours he has a free moment to catch up on sports highlights.

"When we cast this, we were looking for people who on the surface aren't the obvious sports fans, but everyone can come and use the app to curate their ideal experience," said Cody Stokes, director at Big Block.