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Sports news network ESPN is trying harder to break into the UK market with football-based app ESPN Goals, and has moved the app from paid to free due to a sponsorship deal with online gambling company Bet365.
ESPN Goals is an app for mobile devices like Android, BlackBerry, iPhone and Windows Mobile, and it streams content to football fans’ mobile devices- including goals minutes after they occur. ESPN Goals launched in the football news for mobile devices space at the start of the last football season, costing users about £3.99 per month or £29.99 a year.
ESPN commented on the deal and streaming to mobile devices to cement the popular American brand among UK sports fans:
“In its first season, ESPN Goals established a brand and built a base of UK football fans using the app, which has allowed us to demonstrate the unique value of mobile to advertisers and partners – both on its own and as a compliment to our television and web coverage of the Premier League… As we continue to build ESPN’s presence in the UK we want to connect with as many football fans as possible, on all the screens they use. Being able to now offer ESPN Goals to fans for free will help us advance those aims.”
Alex Fagan, group director for ad sales at the company, spoke about how integrating mobile devices connects more fans to the network through newer technologies:
“Our arrangement with Bet365 demonstrates our ability to offer brands integrated, innovative and relevant advertising solutions, connecting them with football fans whether it’s on the TV screen or mobile device.”
Tom Gleeson, vice president of digital media at ESPN International commented that “fans are busier than ever and can’t be in front of the TV or at the stadium” to catch all the content they’d like, and added that “fans want their football wherever they are.” ESPN says that despite recent moves by the Premier League to limit web coverage of live matches, coverage available within the app will not be affected.
