ESPN has introduced some local website flavour to their online offering; ESPNChicago.com was launched on Monday. The website replaces the radio website that ESPN's Chicago affiliate was running. The design of the site is consistent with the look-n-feel of the national site ESPN.com and the content, made up of articles and videos, is Chicago sports specific.
To write the Chicago targeted material ESPN will use their staffers as well as former sports writers from the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times.
You can bet that if ESPNChicago goes well that ESPN will replicate this model for other ESPN radio affiliate websites.
This ESPN local model could pose a real threat to the already declining reading audience that newspapers are battling. Newspapers were already late to the party when it came to incorporating online features with conventional print and now you have to think that with ESPN's brand muscle, online prowess and resources (including potentially disgruntled old newspaper employees) they could blow the newspapers' online coverage right out of the water.
This is will be an interesting case study to watch.
No comments:
Post a Comment