UEFA is the governing body for football in Europe and is responsible for organizing various competitions and tournaments, including the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, and UEFA European Championship. In addition to its role in football administration, UEFA also has a Marketing division that develops television and media content strategies for all UEFA competitions, as well as sponsorship strategies for club and certain national-team competitions.

While the teams in Iceland battle it out for their dreams, the ESPN app revolutionizes the way millions of football enthusiasts worldwide engage with the game. ESPN has become one of the most popular sports channels globally, offering a wide range of content and attracting loyal sports fans.

You will understand ESPN's marketing strategies by reading the blog. And before we dive into its marketing strategies, let's quickly go through ESPN's story, objectives, and more.

ESPN is a sports entertainment company created by Scott Rasmussen, Bill Rasmussen, and Ed Eagan. It is currently co-owned by two companies, with The Walt Disney Company holding 80% of the shares and Hearst Communications owning 20%.

The company was founded in 1979 and operates over 30 television networks, 90 broadband networks, and 13 websites. Their headquarters are located in Bristol, Connecticut. Currently, ESPN reaches 80 million viewers worldwide.

ESPN: Live Sports & Scores app profile from Appranking

Target Audience and Positioning

ESPN's target audience consists of dedicated sports viewers, especially teenagers and male sports enthusiasts. The goal is to increase ESPN+ subscribers and revenue by adding more content. To promote ESPN+, the company utilizes its media network, including television channels, social media, and more.

ESPN positions itself as one of the world's leading sports media and entertainment networks. They adopt an interest-based publishing strategy to create an exclusive image in the eyes of the audience.

Marketing Activities

ESPN launched a "ONE APP, ONE TAP" marketing campaign to offer sports enthusiasts a mobile platform to enjoy sports. Disney-owned ESPN is making a foray into the digital platform through its ESPN app. The company stated that its streaming service, ESPN+, has acquired 10.3 million subscribers.


The app has been successful as it allows users to watch anytime, anywhere through its application. The total number of devices covered by the app in September increased by 15% compared to September 2019.
Recently, ESPN's award-winning "One App, One Tap" campaign returned with new creative developed in collaboration with BSSP. The new ad combines a sports nostalgic and retro vibe with relevant sports backgrounds to familiarize digital-first sports fans with ESPN+ and clarify its presence within the ESPN app. This marks the first ESPN+ version developed, further emphasizing the streaming focus.

"The ESPN App is our premiere digital destination for fans. We are excited to build upon the success of the ‘One App, One Tap’ campaign with a larger focus on the benefits of ESPN+ as part of the ESPN App," said Laura Gentile, Executive Vice President, Marketing, ESPN. "There remains a significant opportunity to increase awareness that ESPN+ is an innovative feature of the ESPN App, and we believe that message can help fans as they consume and stream sports in a new way."

The creative will run across ESPN-owned properties including digital and linear in addition to paid media.

Social Media Marketing

Social media marketing is crucial in attracting a wide audience, and it's no wonder brands like ESPN leverage its advantages.

ESPN's strategy is "more is more," meaning they aim to win more viewers through social media. ESPN is active on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. They have over 269 million followers and over 30 accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. These accounts contain promotions and informational content aimed at sports enthusiasts.

Influencer Marketing

ESPN has collaborations with numerous sports celebrities and has a significant following on Instagram and a substantial number of subscribers on YouTube. ESPN has hired Omar Raja, an Instagram influencer responsible for uploading sports videos. ESPN controls Ballervision's YouTube channel as well as Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. The company's subscriber base continues to grow, and it has become more active on social platforms.

E-commerce Strategy

In terms of e-commerce, ESPN has an online retail store website that features a wide range of sports merchandise for sale. It provides a convenient way to purchase sports equipment at reasonable prices. It focuses on product quality and caters to the needs of consumers worldwide. ESPN collaborates with major e-commerce provider GSI Commerce Inc.

Mobile Application

ESPN has a free mobile application available on Android and iOS. The app can be downloaded from the Play Store and App Store. All sporting events are streamed on this app, allowing users to watch for free anytime.

ESPN is consistently first in the sports(grossing) category

Content Marketing

ESPN is highly active on YouTube and various other social media platforms. Its primary focus is to provide viewers with a wide range of high-quality sports events. It has proven to be one of the fastest-growing companies in the United States, offering different information about various sports events. It has several sister channels like ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, and many other renowned channels worldwide.

We can see from the Appranking competitor apps recommendation of ESPN

What Sets ESPN's Marketing Apart?

In ESPN's marketing strategy, the company's motto is to provide sports events anytime, anywhere. It has introduced an application for mobile users to watch sports anytime, anywhere. It is a large company with many sub-channels. It continues to evolve in the field of digital marketing for better quality.

As we know, digital marketing evolves with technological advancements. One of the benefits of the online era is the ease of accessibility from anywhere, making it easily accessible to anyone.

We hope this blog on ESPN's marketing strategy has provided you with a better understanding of the company's marketing strategies.

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