ESPN Flexing Its Muscles…Again

Big news…no wait…huge news announced earlier this week by ESPN. The “total sports network” says it has plans to extend its reach into local sports media markets by launching individual market-specific Web sites across the country.

Following a successful test run in Chicago with www.ESPNChicago.com, ESPN will next setup Web sites aimed at covering the local sports scene in the New York, Los Angeles and Dallas markets.

ESPN’s plan is to first establish an online presence in the local markets, covering the area’s pro teams and local sports action, then dig deeper into coverage of college and high school sports news.

ESPN’s local market Web sites will also leverage social media to attract additional readers and viewers and tap in to community sports leagues (like serving as a platform to organize local softball and basketball rec leagues and games) and little league-type sporting events.

In a New York Times front page article printed Monday (“Adding to Sites, ESPN Worries Home Teams” by Brooks Barnes), an example used of the new Web site’s social media reach could be fathers uploading scores from their daughter’s soccer games.

How powerful is that?

Obviously this new venture by ESPN will, most likely, cause a significant shift in America’s local sports media coverage. In the less than four months ESPNChicago.com has existed, it’s already become the city’s top sports site.

According to the New York Times’ article, ESPN’s local Chicago Web site attracted about 590,000 unique visitors for the month of June – 130,000 more than the city’s next most visited sports site, www.ChicagoTribune.com/sports/.

As ESPN, the Wal-Mart of sports media, continues to grow its brand and look to now dominate local sports coverage, it could face a backlash from the local fans and the traditional local sports media outlets.

Aside from its national sports media presence on television (all eight stations), ESPN also publishes a monthly sports magazine, boasts 350 radio station affiliates and its Web site (ESPN.com) ranks as the second most visited sports site on the Internet (Yahoo Sports is number one).

So now that the media conglomerate is aiming its missiles at local sports, there is a threat of some negative publicity and critical feedback being directed at ESPN. The media and general public may regard ESPN’s latest venture as a plan to conquer the smaller sports outlets, putting every sports journalist and reporter, who doesn’t have ESPN on their business card, out of work.

It can also be perceived that extending into local markets will just be another example of the network’s over-saturation of the ESPN brand (I mean really, how obnoxious are the ESPY’s anyway).

ESPN has a tremendous advantage over local media outlets. Because it owns the most powerful brand name in all of sports it can, like a bully, knock down advertisers’ doors and grab the increasingly difficult-to-get ad revenue dollars that most local sports media outlets can not.

“A national sports brand that’s dedicated to your local market? It hasn’t really been seen before,” said Ray Elias, marketing director for StubHub.

Stacey Woelfel, chairman of the Radio Television News Directors Association, said the potential threat that ESPN will pose to local TV stations is huge.

However, ESPN has already begun to institute a public relations strategy to curb much of the negative press its new venture could receive.

The network has said it will consider aligning itself with the already established media outlets in the markets it plans to infiltrate, attempting to position its brand as a potential collaborator – not competitor.

“You’ve got outstanding newspapers and television stations that have been in these markets forever and have strong followings. Our presence will be additive,” John Kosner, ESPN’s digital media chief, said. “It’s not a forgone conclusion that we will be independent.”

Yeah, right. If you don’t think ESPN’s looking to crush all of the “mom and pop” sports media outlets, then I’ve got a bridge to sell you.

But, ESPN is very smart to nip that potential negative media story angle in the bud and spin it like they just want to be friends with everybody.

This is quite an aggressive endeavor to be undertaken, even for ESPN. It’ll be very interesting to follow the progress and watch how big of an influence ESPN can become in the local markets.