ESPNArcade.com Relaunching With More Games, New Ad Strategy

By Eric Fisher, Staff Writer, SportsBusiness Journal

ESPN has relaunched its two-year-old casual games destination ESPNArcade.com with more than 70 games and an expanded advertising and content strategy that includes integration with “SportsCenter.” Among the individual moves within the ESPN Arcade relaunch is a rebranding of its ESPN Cameraman photo game franchise to ESPN Zoom. Within that new brand, ESPN has created “ESPN Zoom: Freeze Frame Edition” for online and mobile play, with the title using photos showcased weekly on “SportsCenter” and carrying Bud Light as a multi-platform sponsor. “We’re seeing this year a big uptick in the interest and activity with casual gaming, presenting us with a big opportunity to get a new set offerings together for both fans and advertisers we think is going to be a lot more compelling and integrated between platforms,” said ESPN VP/Games Raphael Poplock.