ESPN Chicago May Spark Regional Sports Battle With Fox, Comcast

ESPN Has No Plans To Launch  More Local Web Sites Following ESPN Chicago

The launch of ESPNChicago.com "has the potential to set off a digital war in regional sports as the existing stalwarts with local sports networks, Fox and Comcast, prepare to fend off ESPN," according to Tom Lowry of BUSINESS WEEK. Fox is "launching new Web sites while Comcast is upping investment in its local sports sites, including expanded coverage." Comcast Sports Group President Jon Litner: "I feel confident. That's because we've always been about local and we work where we live." Fox currently "does not offer local Web sites for its 19 regional sports networks," but it "plans to begin rolling out city-specific online sites for those networks later this year." A Fox Sports spokesperson said that plans for local sites "were already in the works before ESPN Chicago launched." Comcast, which operates 10 RSNs, last week hired Eric Grilly as Exec VP & Chief Digital Officer to "head its online strategy in local markets and to bolster those Web offerings." ESPN execs said that they have "no plans at this time to roll out more local Web sites," but Lowry wrote it "really seems like a no-brainer for the sports media giant because it can pull off that strategy with minimal new investment." The April 13 launch of ESPN Chicago "couldn't have come at a better time, with baseball season starting, the Bulls and the Blackhawks in the playoffs, and [QB] Jay Cutler being traded" to the Bears. ESPN Digital Media Senior VP & GM John Kosner said that ESPN Chicago since the launch has logged "nearly 5 million page views from more than 1 million visitors," and that the traffic is "exceeding initial audience projections for the site by 300%."

BUILDING A FOUNDATION: Lowry reported ESPN is "using editorial content" from ESPN Radio 1000 Chicago, as well as WLS-ABC to fill the ESPN Chicago Web site. ESPN's L.A. and Bristol operations also do "Chicago-centric video that is streamed as a Chicago 'SportsCenter' and a local 'Baseball Tonight' program on the site." ESPN.com writers are "tapped to do Chicago-focused stories for the site and ESPN's existing Chicago multiplatform advertising sales team is selling ads for the site." The advertisers are a "mix of national and local businesses, ranging from StubHub and MillerCoors to Chicagojobs.com and Binnys Beverage Depot" (BUSINESSWEEK.com, 5/8).