ESPN's sales team will hold its own upfront "for advertisers interested in sponsoring" Mike Greenberg's new program after several sponsors approached him at the company's recent upfront presentation, according to Michael McCarthy of SPORTING NEWS. ESPN President of Global Sales & Marketing Ed Erhardt said, "It will be a smaller event. A real conversational event. I think it will help drive interest, demand and ideas. The great thing about [Greenberg] is his radio background allows him to say, 'Hey, how about a live reading?' He's very, very smooth." Greenberg "smartly invited the Madison Avenue advertising community to become part" of his show during ESPN's recent presentation, as the net will "effectively be asking Greenberg fans to switch to a new show on a new channel." McCarthy noted that is a "tall order in morning TV, where viewers don't like change." Greenberg: "Is it a risk? Yes, of course it is. It’s a risk for the company and a risk for me, for sure. But there’s a part of that (that) makes you feel excited at the same time." McCarthy noted it "helps ESPN's relationship with the ad community to have a live show produced in the advertising/media capital of the world." Erhardt: "Totally a big part of why we're doing it. Plus, the guests you can get (in New York)" (SPORTINGNEWS.com, 6/7).
