George Henshaw, Elliot Morton.
Having American channel ESPN on streaming platform Disney+ with live sports audiences and precision targeting has broadened the appeal for advertisers and brands, according to media agencies.
ESPN celebrated 30 years of broadcasting at its upfront in Sydney this week, unveiling new advertising products through its integration with Disney+.
Disney+ hosts 14,000 live sporting events each year via ESPN with 100% of the ad breaks to be delivered through dynamic ad insertion (DAI), replacing linear ad breaks for live sporting events with 1 billion ad impressions across ESPN SVOD.
Magnite was announced as the programmatic partner for Disney+ in Australia set to improve optimisation for advertisers by managing traffic spikes during live games.
Agencies said dynamic advertising on Disney+ extends media buys to a new and scalable audience and significantly broadens reach opportunities.
“We're most excited to see commitment to more Australian feeds on ESPN, giving our brands deeper access to premium US environments,” said Aaron Miller, head of sport partnerships – Omnicom Media Group.
“We have tapped into these opportunities with McDonald’s.”
Tom Jinks, client director at Mediahub, said the introduction of ads on Disney+ is an opportunity for brands to tap into both live sports and Disney’s entertainment offering.
“With sports like the NBA and NFL seeing strong growth among younger audiences, Disney+’s new targeting capabilities open up new ways to connect with fans, both in-game and across the platform,” he said.
“ESPN’s live-game brand collaborations are a powerful opportunity for brands to show up authentically in the heart of the action.
“The chance to be part of iconic NFL and NBA moments allows brands to go far beyond traditional logo placements. I’m especially interested in how brands will leverage these moments across live broadcast and ESPN’s social talent and content to create cultural impact.”
Emily Harris, implementation & activation director at Mindshare, said ESPN creates a more integrated media ecosystem, allowing access both live sports and a wide range of entertainment content in one place.
“The energy and innovation at this year's ESPN upfronts was fantastic,” said Harris.
“It's always exciting to see how the brand is thinking about the future of sports and media and how passionate everyone is to grow the brand. Plus, the venue at Taronga Zoo made for a stunning backdrop of Sydney harbour throughout the event.”
Tom Kirkham, WPP Media’s general manager, partnerships, data and platforms, said it’s great to see Disney+/ESPN leaning into its strengths in its simplest form.
“The world of sport meets globally proven technologies,” said Kirkham.
“In that regard I'm excited to see what the Disney+ cleanroom brings to brands who want to better understand their customers' passion points and measure outcomes beyond media metrics.”
Maddie Phillips, senior client director, dentsu QLD, said the deep connection ESPN has with its fans is a huge factor when considering potential partnerships for clients.
“That kind of engagement is built over time through trust, consistency and a deep understanding of the audience, making platforms like ESPN both a powerful and credible environment for brands to show up in,” said Phillips.
“The growth in women’s sport over the past decade has been incredible, and it’s become a highly valuable space for brands to align with, especially early on when authenticity matters most.
“The integrated opportunities that ESPN has to offer and the ways that brands can not only show up in these environments, but really integrate themselves into the action - by leveraging the ESPN talent, story telling and their deep connection with the fans.”
Aaron Miller at Omnicom Media Group, said connection to fans is critical for integrating brands into sport, especially considering how hard it can be to cut through the noise in such cluttered environments.
“One thing that excites me is the commitment from ESPN to produce more Australian feeds on NFL and NBA, allowing Australian brands to have a deeper connection to fans,” said Miller.
“Their laser focus on next generation sports fans (16-44) gives them a compelling position in market.
“Brands are definitely awake to the rapid growth in interest and consumption of US sports in Australia. The cultural influence the US has in Australia and how important sport is in driving that culture opens up exciting opportunities for Australian brands who want to future proof their cultural resonance.”
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