ESPN Radio to Launch Online Affiliate Network

ESPNRadio.com is expanding its network of affiliate
web sites. The ESPNRadio.com Online Affiliate Network will develop the localized reach of ESPN’s digital audio unit,
serving fans with more daily live and on-demand audio from around the
country while enhancing online opportunities for advertisers. The
initial expansion will grow the network to include two 24/7/365
national feeds, 10 local networks, live NBA & College Football
audio, and direct access to more than 50 local and national podcasts
(accounting for more than eight million downloads per month). The
first new affiliates will include Red Zebra Broadcasting’s Washington
D.C. stations WXTR-AM, WWXT-FM and WWXX-FM (triplexespnradio.com), Good Karma Broadcasting’s WKNR-AM Cleveland (espncleveland.com), WAUK-AM Milwaukee (espnmilwaukee.com) and WEFL-AM West Palm Beach (espn760.com), and KEPN-AM Denver (espnradiodevner.com).
Already, the ESPNRadio.com Online
Network features the sites, full programming lineups and Webcam video
programs for ESPN Radio (national), ESPN Deportes Radio (national) and
the company’s five owned stations: WEPN-AM New York (1050espn.com) WMVP-AM Chicago (espn1000.com); KSPN-AM Los Angeles (710espn.com); KESN-FM Dallas (espn1033.com); and WEAE-AM Pittsburgh (1250espn.com). More affiliates nationwide will be added to the network in the coming weeks and months.
Each affiliate will receive ESPN.com
news and information feeds, online development resources (including
design and advertising templates) and media assets (audio, video,
scoreboards, local team schedules, polls, widgets and more) from ESPN
to enhance their station’s home online. Each station’s live and
on-demand audio and video assets will integrated into ESPNRadio.com and
the site’s newly-enhanced “Superstream” integrated media player. Like
with ESPN Radio’s terrestrial network, the ESPNRadio.com Online Network
will enhance the advertising inventory, reach and targeted
opportunities for marketers locally and nationally.
“We’ve built an enormously vibrant and
passionate community of sports fans through ESPN Radio, our owned &
operated stations, more than 350 affiliates nationwide and
ESPNRadio.com,” says Marc Horine, vice president, digital partnerships
and radio, ESPN Digital Media. “By extending our reach through this
expanded online network, we can better serve local sports fans by
delivering world-class content, and we will be able to offer a truly
integrated national and local solution to advertisers.”
The new ESPN Radio “Superstream” media
player offers sports fans access to the entirety of the ESPNRadio.com
Network with single-click access to all national and local online radio
streams and podcasts, as well as to the ESPNRadio.com live Webcam video
lineup (6 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. ET Monday – Friday) and the ESPN Radio
Insider premium service. For advertisers, the Superstream media player
offers local or national ad insertions to any audio or video stream,
banner ads synchronized to audio or video streams, local and national
podcast sponsorships, integrated local advertising solutions, and
integrated national advertising solutions including ESPN, ESPN Radio,
ESPN.com and ESPNRadio.com.
ESPNRadio.com has grown its monthly
online audience to nearly two million monthly unique users and 275,000
monthly live online listeners. In 2007,
Total listening hours (TLH) for ESPNRadio.com’s live streams grew 46
percent to an average of more than four million hours per month, while
average monthly cumulative audience (CUME) grew by more than 75 percent
(when compared to the prior year). Additionally,
from January through March of 2008, downloads of ESPN audio podcasts
have increased 69 percent compared to the same period a year ago, while
ESPN video podcast downloads have increased more than 250 percent.