In this week's INSIDE MEDIA, Mike Reynolds reports that ESPN
is looking for six $2M sponsors for its inaugural "Extreme Games"
to run on ESPN and The Deuce between June 24 and July 2 in '95.
ESPN VP of Business Development Tom Hagel: "We're looking for
six 'gold' sponsors. We went out with proposals to our incumbent
advertisers just after Labor Day, beginning with fast-food and
soft drink clients because they had expressed the most interest
since we announced the Extreme Games back in April." Reynolds
says the "umbrella sponsorship" packages will control
approximately 70% of the program inventory and include commercial
time during 22 live hours on ESPN, 19 live hours on ESPN2, as
well as seven hours to be re-aired in West Coast primetime. The
"gold sponsors" will also "benefit from the association with 24
hours of programming on the networks leading up to the
competition," promotional vignettes, on-site hospitality, and
event signage. The Extreme Games is a first step by ESPN "to
expand its reach beyond that of rights holder to event marketer,
controlling everything from hospitality and course design to
promotion and integrated marketing packages" (Mike Reynolds,
INSIDE MEDIA, 9/21 issue).
BRING ON THE 18-34 CONSUMERS: The Extreme Games, to be held
in Newport, RI, will feature events in 9 "alternative sports":
bungy jumping, mountain biking, sky surfing, windsurfing, kite-
skiing, and barefoot jumping. "ESPN is estimating a 1.6
household rating for its universe, and a 0.9 rating within
ESPN2's world" (INSIDE MEDIA, 9/21 issue).
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, ESPN: In a column this morning, Leonard
Shapiro notes ESPN "has changed the viewing habits of most of
America's sports fans is celebrating its [15th] anniversary this
month." In addition to supplying "four times the 1,288 hours of
[sports] coverage provided in 1979 by ABC, CBS, and NBC," Shapiro
says that "ESPN has also made a significant impact in TV sports
journalism, taking it into enterprise reporting where few major
networks have dared to go" (WASHINGTON POST, 9/23).
ALSO FROM INSIDE MEDIA -- HOLA, SENOR: Marty O'Loughlin
reports that JSA Publishing in Santa Monica, CA, will deliver
"Mundo Deportivo" [Sports World] "door-to-door in plastic bags in
census tracts with a minimum of 70 percent Hispanics." The bi-
monthly publication will begin February and reach 1.2M Hispanic
men in LA, NY, Miami, Chicago, San Antonio, El Paso, Houston, San
Francisco, San Diego, and Dallas. "Editorially, the magazine
will focus on sports that appeal most to Hispanic men, notably
boxing, baseball, auto racing, and domestic and international
soccer" (Marty O'Louglin, INSIDE MEDIA, 9/21 issue).
