Hey all, As a viewer of ESPN, I notice they place certain weights of importance on the various sports throughout all their programming, from their sports shows, to advertising, to coverage of the sport. I can't help but notice that ESPN TV and radio has done a fair amount of marketing and "hype" for the World Baseball Classic. I've seen endless commercials, various ones, on ESPN for the WBC, and even on other cable channels. On the various sports shows on ESPN, I've caught many of the topics revolving around the WBC, including headline stories. Most of these stories have even just been the typical "...this WBC is going to be huge. Every American should be supporting and watching, this is what it's all about.", etc. etc. Now I do think this WBC does merit plenty of attention, and it appears to be a good idea. Nobody should argue that. Though one can make the arguement that this is just a foreign project for MLB in which several of the countries participating in the WBC are token teams not known for playing baseball in their countries. However, clearly this appears to be the "World Cup-version" of baseball, so it counts for something. And hopefully it does well. With that being said, we can't forget that this is the inaugural edition of the WBC, any promotion of it is done out of mere sympathy because one does not know whether it will succeed, last, or be appreciated by other countries. And yet, there has been lots of explicit and implicit promotion for it. In contrast, the World Cup has been established since 1930. It is now appreciated by virtually the entire world. It has already merited its "classic" stature, prestige, and name. And yet, in years past, ESPN has done a minimal role in marketing the event, much less the sport. Yes, we recognize that ESPN has purchased the WC rights until 2014 and it will show all 64 games. And we appreciate that. But my question is... will ESPN TV, ESPN radio, and ESPN Magazine, and all sports contributors for that matter, be talking about the games, prior and during the games? Will there be a rallying cry from ESPN corners to "embrace, support, and watch the U.S. national team take on the world in the global sport" just as they constantly remind us with the WBC? Will Sportscenter, PTI, ATH, Cold Pizza, etc. talk about World Cup results and stories just as they desire other countries' medias to embrace the WBC? Will they be pessimistic (as in previous years) or will they be optimistic just as with the inaugural WBC? Will the talking always be about "can soccer survive in the U.S.?" (even though that mythical question has long been put to rest) or will the news coverage be of substance with the games, players, results, and talent?
I thought ESPN/ABC/SI/etc treated World Cup very well during 2002. There was plenty of buzz leading up to the tournament, SI cover w/ Mathis, 1/2 hour or 1 hour report called World Cup Tonight from ESPN every night, front page of ESPN.com every morning after the games. When USA was playing its quarterfinal match against Germany, they had a small box in the corner of the screen during Good Morning America showing the match. After US did so well, there was endless various Late Night and Morning Today appearances, another SI cover w/ Donovan. US may be lukewarm on soccer, but it's a sucker for big events, and World Cup is a big-ass event. I'll tell you - there aren't many countries out there that will show all 64 games live, especially in HD (even if some cable operators don't carry ESPN2 in HD).
Good point about Good Morning America showing the match on the corner of the screen. But my post was dealing with the level of promotion and news coverage ESPN will give it. I don't recall ESPN having a "World Cup Tonight" show every night, nor do I remember "plenty of buzz leading up to the tournament".
I remember Jack Edwards talking about "This is my last NHL game before I head to Korea" as well as the pop-up advertisements during the 2002 Stanley Cup Finals that counted down the days until the first game.
Look for ESPN to crank up the hype machine about a week prior to the World Cup so that it won't be spanked by Univision in the ratings race. 2006 will be the first World Cup in which both ESPN/ESPN2/ABC and Univision will be using the SAME Nielsen National Television Index (NTI) statistical sample to track the TV ratings. In the past, Univision used a different rating system, namely the Nielsen Hispanic Television Index (NHTI). Note that first ever Chivas Guadalajara-Club America regular season superclasico telecast on Univision this past Sunday (February 26) that used the NTI rating system drew more households than ANY previous MLS telecast in the entire 10-year history of MLS.
I think it may even come a bit earlier, namely right around the start of the MLS season or at latest, the Champions League Final as I think there are logical marketing connections there. I think ESPN's build-up to WC 2002 also essentially started with the opening of the 2002 MLS season. But based on what ESPN and SUM have let slip over the past year or so, the coverage is going to be great. Perhaps even too much at times!
I have read on aother board on this forum that there will be a 55 minute show between the games from 2-255pm and also a 20 minute recap show each nite on espn called World Cup Live. So I feel that they will show enough coverage of it plus FSC will also probably send someone over there to cover it as well so I think there will be coverage on ESPN and I think it will be close to the WBC if not the same.
Monster linked to ESPN's advance schedule a while back and it showed exactly such programs. The longer show usually airs leading into each game and sometimes again as a post-game show. The 20 minute recap show is presumably part of ESPN's Trifecta, where they usually air three 20 minute shows or one 20 minute show and one 40 minute show. One is almost always Outside The Lines. The other shows are season-appropriate recap shows like Baseball Tonight.
Basically, there will be a studio show between games almost every day. When consecutive games are played on the same network, there will be a 55-minute show between them. For instance, on June 13, ESPN2 has South Korea vs. Togo at 8:55-11 a.m. There is a 55-minute studio show after that until France vs. Switzerland is on at 11:55. When that ends, there is another studio show until Brazil vs. Croatia is on at 2:55 p.m. Late night, ESPN will have a 20-minute show every night (the time varies, I guess because of baseball). As you get into the knockout rounds, there are occasional standalone pre-game shows on ESPN and ESPN2. As far as how they promote it, I feel comfortable that it will be treated good. I have no doubt that there are people here who will take any chance to point to something as a negative, but that's life. I personally don't see ESPN Radio - at least when I listen - fawning over the WBC. Eric Kusilias pretty much hates the event and when you're 4-7 p.m. guy is outright bashing an event, I hardly think there's a corporate mandate to promote the event at all costs from the shows I have heard, but I don't listen 24/7. I'm sure the anicllary shows like Cold Pizza will discuss the WC because those are the ones discussing soccer now. That's where MLS and the MNT get their appearances, Cold Pizza and the Hot List, which by the way is perfectly situated for an end-of-the-day wrapup. I think things will be fine, but I also think some people will never be satisfied.
ESPN started advertising the WBC down here in Orlando over a month ago, probably about a month and half to two months before the event starts. Ads are on both Latin radio stations at least 3ce hourly during rush hour. I doubt they'll bother with either for the WC. But then... its not being held in Orlando either.
You should never simply be 'satisfied' when you aren't on top. Being 'satisfied' never got anyone ahead, being bullish does.
What media? TV or radio? They've been advertising the World Cup on TV for a long time now. They filmed the commercials when they played in Hartford last August.
See, but satisfaction is a personal issue. And people often project their personal level of satisfaction onto others as the only true measure of success. Personally, I don't need soccer to be "on top" to feel validated as a person. But that's just me.
You are in the minority for sure, at least in this territory... There are people in this board, specifically, four of them: MiamiAce, Visca el Barca, BocaFan and the guy who used lots of alias because of red-carded (Bourque123, Ludacris, etc.) who view ESPN's treatment of soccer as the be-all and end-all of the sport. When ESPN shuns the Champions League, all hell broke loose. When ESPN doesn't show a USA game, it warrants a congress hearing. I mean, this is the vintage "we love soccer, so why can't everybody in America love soccer like we do?" mentality. These four stooges are all from other countries, they come to this country but have trouble accepting the fact that mainstream America are simply indifferent to soccer, especially European soccer. I mean, ESPN hypes up the WBC, it warrants another comparison to ESPN's potential treatment to the World Cup. Look who started this thread. Funny that the WBC can't even get on the networks, while the World Cup has been able to since 1982, but they don't care. It's ESPN's treatment that counts. ABC and NBC must be niche channels that no one cares about...
on what channels have they adverted the world cup? the WBC down here is all media, but the most noticeable to me is definitely the 2 main latin stations. It gets roughly no coverage on the hip/hop rock stations. the disney owned TV airs ads REGULARLY and the disney "leased" paper printed an article or two. they're seriously going all out in this neck - o - the woods.
i don't think it matters that much... and who's to say if it isn't MLB paying for all those WBC ads and pushing for all that talk? all the games live, optionally in HD, and a daily highlights show. to me, that's just the right amount of attention from ESPN. if I need to know anything else, the internet is here waiting for me. I'll be satisfied.
One thing you need to realize is that the WBC has already started. The media push didn't start until a couple of weeks ago. The World Cup doesn't start for another 90 odd days. I'm not a marketing exec or anything but I don't think you'd push a product that starts in 3 months in the same way that you push a product that starts in 2 weeks. I'm sure that ESPN will get their hype machine going in the weeks leading up the WC.
The Orlando Sentinal. The Slantinel is I believe owned by the Chicago Tribune, but you'd never tell from all the Disney press releases it prints as articles.
I saw ads for it here on ESPN, and on the radio, in early January. Like I said, two full months before it started.
Well, the stars of the WBC on the U.S. team are Roger Clemens and Alex Rodriguez. The stars of the World Cup on the U.S. team are DaMarcus Beasley and Landon Donovan. How many sports fans in the U.S. know who Roger Clemens and Alex Rodriguez are? How many sports fans in the U.S. know who DaMarcus Beasley and Landon Donovan are? You could make the same comparison for foreign teams (say Ronaldinho and David Beckham versus Pedro Martinez and Ichiro Suzuki for example).
How many ads have you seen? I've seen ads for the World Cup on ESPN. They've mentioned it various times, mostly around the times that they've shown Champions League, USMNT games or the World Cup draw.