Whistle Sports Founder & CEO John West this morning said there has been a recent advertiser flight to the digitally focused youth sports network following sponsor issues surrounding Google and Facebook. The two digital giants have faced numerous departures over the past two months from some large sponsors and media buying agencies due to failures in ad placement software resulting in spots showing up next to racist, offensive, and hate-oriented content. Whistle Sports’ primary target of under-25 sports fans and a programming strategy that veers away from issues such as drugs and violence have heightened the company’s role as a safe haven during the current industry tumult. “Safety is now coming up in our discussions with [media buying] agencies in a way that it hasn’t before,” said West, who appeared this morning in N.Y. at a NewFront event hosted by media and ad consultancy Medialink. “We’re about the positive, empowering, and funny in sports, and hopefully we’re viewed as a safe alternative.” The Whistle Sports network now reaches more than 350 million people across its various distribution agreements and social media networks, and West said the company is evaluating extensions into premium, direct-to-consumer content, live events, and branded merchandise. “There are a lot of new avenues where we can still go,” West said.
