Dive Brief:
- Joining a trend of publishers taking control of branded content, Fox Sports is launching Fox Sports Engage -- a multiplatform branded content distribution program that will include Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
- Going beyond some similar programs, Fox Sports Engage will provide advertisers guaranteed viewership on the social media platforms.
- Other publishers engaging in sponsored content include Vox Media, Atlantic Media’s Quartz and Condé Nast’s 23 Stories.
Dive Insight:
Offering some level of sponsored content creation and distribution is one of publishers’ latest sources of revenue. Two recent examples are Condé Nast’s in-house native ad unit 23 Stories, and the in-house custom ad production units at Vox Media and Atlantic Media’s Quartz. The latest entrant, Fox Sports with its Fox Sports Engage, will distribute branded content via social media networks, and will go beyond many similar programs by guaranteeing a certain level of viewership for advertisers.
About the guarantee, Pete Vlastelica, evp of digital for Fox Sports, told Adweek, "That guaranteed viewership is what we think has been missing from the social media distribution landscape. We think we've developed what could be a real game changer for our ad sales team in response to a lot of input and feedback we've heard from the marketplace."
Fox Sports will also be tracking the most successful social media platforms to optimize and put more resources where the program performs best.
