ADV 420 ESPN Soccer strategy

1. ESPN DIGITAL SOCCER
STRATEGY
How to make MLS soccer more appealing to American viewers

2. TARGET AUDIENCE
 Existing soccer fans
 Casual sports fans
 Fantasy sports league
enthusiasts

3. BIG IDEA
 Convenience and entertainment
 Free online streams of all MLS games
 Creation of a new fantasy soccer league with cash
prizes and social media compatibility
 Dedicated website that hosts all MLS streams, the
fantasy league, and MLS community forums
• Users will be able to talk and interact with one
another on the forums in real-time while watching
live MLS game streams.
• League participants will be able to watch games
together via streams and simultaneously see
updated fantasy stats in real time.

4. BIG IDEA CONTINUED
 Fantasy league and forum participants will be able to sign in with
social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) credentials
 Weekly Q & A sessions with MLS players will be held on social
media sites and the community forum site.

5. KPI
 The creation of the complete ESPN soccer website that hosts the
fantasy league, streams, and community forum will take 6 months
• The creation of the fantasy league should take no more than 3
months.
• An additional 3 months will be necessary for beta testing and revisions
• The implementation of the free streams will be quick and take no
more than 60 days.
• The creation of a community forum should take no more than 45
days.
 The campaign success will be measured in terms of league participation,
stream viewership, and forum participation.

6. TOOLS AND TACTICS
 Fantasy Soccer League
 Dedicated Community Forums
 Free Live Streams

7. TOOLS AND TACTICS
CONTINUED
 Social media/forum appearances by MLS Players
 AdWords Campaign
 Blogging
 Digital PR

8. BUDGET
Expense Amount
Fantasy League Creation $5,000
Forum Creation $3,500
Website Creation $2,000
Hosting and Maintenance Fees $500/month or $6,000 per year
Google AdWords $15,000
Sports Radio Ads $10,000
Streaming Video Ads $10,000
Total $51,500

9. KEYS TO SUCCESS
 Increase MLS awareness among the general American public.
 Make viewing MLS games as convenient as possible.
 Ensure the fantasy league experience is fun and engaging.
 Foster and develop an online community of MLS enthusiasts.

10. SUMMARY
 New comprehensive MLS website
• Free and convenient MLS streams
• Entertaining fantasy league experience
• Online forums
 Development of an online community
• MLS player appearances
• Ability to interact with other fans on forums and across social media platforms
 Extensive online advertising and radio campaign
• Google AdWords, sports radio ads, streaming video ads
 Constant evaluation of campaign effectiveness