ESPN Gets Video Reach through AOL Deal

Kate Kaye | April 8, 2008 | 0 comments

Not only has ESPN.com reportedly ditched selling through online ad networks, the site needs more video inventory to satisfy advertisers. In a bid to expand reach for its advertisers, the sports site will distribute its video content through AOL Video and AOL Sports. Game highlights, along with shows like "SportsCenter Right Now" and "Pardon the Interruption" will now be seen via an ESPN video player on AOL, in addition to ESPN.com.

MediaWeek recently reported that ESPN.com will no longer sell inventory through ad networks. Like that news, the AOL distribution deal indicates the site has more demand for advertisers than it can fulfill. So, it needs eyeballs from AOL viewers. While publishers struggle with trying to sell inventory, particularly trying to boost revenue from non-premium inventory, ESPN.com appears to be an anomaly in its ability to sell so much of its media direct.

Still, the site may need to branch out its ability to target audiences it doesn't reach enough of on its own property.

At this point, ESPN.com wouldn't tell ClickZ News anything about advertisers or sponsors. It plans to test AOL usage patterns before forecasting ad inventory.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kate Kaye is a Senior Editor at ClickZ News. As a daily reporter and editor for the original news source, she covers beats including digital political campaigns and government regulation of the online ad industry. Kate is the author of Campaign '08: A Turning Point for Digital Media, the only book focused on the paid digital media efforts of the 2008 presidential campaigns. Kate created ClickZ's Politics & Advocacy section, and is the primary contributor to the one-of-a-kind section. She began reporting on the interactive ad industry in 1999 and has spoken at several events and in interviews for television, radio, print, and digital media outlets. You can follow Kate on Twitter at @LowbrowKate.