Consolidation Continues in the Sports World

ESPN continues evolving to stay ahead of the curve in online marketing. It announced that it would create a network of local online Web sites of its affiliated radio stations, according to a Mediaweek article.

The local sites would be integrated with ESPNRadio.com so that visitors can get a mix of local and national sports news. From a marketing perspective the ads may have to change because now a local and national audience can be reached from the same place.

It is important to note that the recall of advertising is dramatically enhanced when a mix of radio and Internet is used together as compared to Web site ads alone, according to research from the Radio Ad Effectiveness Lab. While the problem of fragmented segments and communications vehicles may have been solved for ESPN, other problems arise, which need to be accounted for in order to create an effective marketing strategy.