For those who do not know, E.S.P.N stands for Entertainment Sports Programming Network. Created by Bill Rasmussen and his son Scott, ESPN was built as a regional cable sports network in Bristol, Connecticut. Since its inception in 1978 the company has sky-rocketed to be one of the most successful sport programming networks ever. As many successful companies and corporations the desire to branch and extend its business by means other than its origin is no different at E.S.P.N.
Extension has been an intricate part of ESPN for some time as they have developed many ways to reach their audience other than their conventional television method. What started as a single cable network has branched out to include 7 domestics, regional, syndicated, pay subscription packages as well as 30 international networks. In 1992 the creation of ESPN radio was under way. They have gone to print publishing, ESPN The Magazine, ESPN Deportes Magazine (for our Spanish reading sports fan) Bassmaster Magazine and hundreds of ESPN books about major topics that have taken place throughout modern sports. ESPN has recently expanded to the wireless market by creating 'Mobile ESPN' a cellular phone with sport update capabilities. What started out quite small has balloned into a mega outlet, where any sports fan can get updates and outcomes virtually anywhere, anytime.
In terms of synergy, specifically ESPN has helped BASS the world's largest fishing organization to gain some national attention and enhance its own products, merchandise and entertainment services. The idea behind this backing is that ESPN wants to help promote a sport that has potential to be a huge success, financially. Greg Waldron (fishing operations manager at Walt Disney World Resort) said, 'We think that bass fishing is where NASCAR was 10 years ago, but it's on its way up'. For BASS to be able to get to a higher level using the ESPN as a partner can only help increase its success based on the high respect ESPN already claims. Radio wise E.S.P.N has spread its name across the entire country and internationally as well. ESPN has 290 station affiliates throughout the country including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Miami and many others. A radio station has the ability to buy the rights to use the ESPN name as well as its services. By picking ESPN on the radio, you have the ability to broadcast the ESPN shows and its hosts, who are scontentionally the best in this respective business. This transformation can increase advertsing sales for particular radio affiliates by a tremendous amount.
From a franchising perspective ESPN has cornered the video game world as well. Electronic Art and ESPN created a licensing deal two years ago in 2005 that hadn't been done before within sporting entertainment. The games will have the exclusive first right and ability to use ESPN content, hosts and programs. Games branded by ESPN include NCAA Football and Basketball, Gran Turismo (car racing), Madden NFL Football, MLB baseball, X-games, FIFA World CUp Soccer among many, many more.
ESPN is a marquee business in terms of extension, franchising and synergy. They are and continue to use their highly respected business and implement it into each new device or service that is created in order to better not only themselves but help in the success for those business that use the ESPN name, products and services.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
6 comments:
Mr. Fleck, I'd like to point out a few franchising projects that the people at ESPN are also involved with. They have created a number of reality tv series, game shows, and movies that have appeared on their networks and some of which are available on DVD. Those titles include: the game shows Stump the Schwab and Around the Horn, the Barry Bonds reality show, the drama series Play Makers. and the made for television movies The Bronx is Burning and A Season on the Brink. I'd give you some links but apparently I can't figure out how to do that whilst leaving a comment. All of this came to mind while I was in Walmart yesterday and they had an ESPN DVD section in the electronics area.
My dear Mr. Fleck, your insights are nothing short of brilliant. I especially like the photo of you exiting Air Go # 1....that's either a sign thatr you will one day be president (maybe dictator 0f a small banana republic)or just CEO of ESPN. You go boyee.
I liked your examples for each of the terms that you gave. I think it’s great that a sports channel can expand so much in less than thirty years. But I would have liked to maybe have seen some references to popular culture. This came to mind when I watched Dodge ball the other day. In the film, the commentators for the main competition in Las Vegas are from ESPN 8 “The Ocho.” Though this is obviously a fictional channel, which got me thinking about all of the other references of ESPN there are in popular films. I did a search on wikipedia (I know…) and saw that ESPN has been referenced in many sports movies including Talledega Nights, The Waterboy, and Anchorman, (in the DVD special features, the main character Ron Burgundy states that he was approached to work at ESPN in 1979 and says “he idea of a twenty-four-hour sports network would be ludicrous”) among other films.
Admittedly I am one of those typical female who couldn't care less about ESPN, but I did find your presentation very interesting and informative. I think the examples you used were great but you didn't mention the clothing line, which to me is one of the greatest appeal of ESPN.
Mad crazy coverage of one of the most prominent franchises out there -- who have taken extension to the frenzy level... I am still interested in what works/worked at the synergy level... which of these additions to the franchise really paid off and created more opportunity than opportunity costs... in terms of spin-offs, tie-ins and the like.
Your blog was superbly done and the photo just takes the cake! Enjoyed your presentation on this as well! thanks for sharing.
I thought before that ESPN is just a magazine business and do something with sport on television. But after i read your blog, i learned more about the business and the extention, synergy and franchise about ESPN. Its a huge business and I can see it in any kind of sports. I even see it in video games as well.
Post a Comment