Powerpoint presentation given to senior executives while at ESPN on the need for a social media strategy alongside and in conjunction with games and event broadcasts. Requested and given approval to start first ever internal team in remote production division to present and educate producers and execs on social media, new technology, and multi-platform outlets. (2009)

1. Next Gen
“The Future is Upon Us”

2. Facebook Me
JEROD COUCH
BROOKE HUNDLEY
JILLIAN MACDONALD
KATIE RICHMAN

3. Mission Possible
ESPN’s Next Gen group is a voluntary group
of young-minded employees, focused on
bringing relevant, new media ideas to the
company. Our goal is to help production leaders
enhance their broadcasts to include digital,
interactive, and customizable sports
experiences. We will work to explore, develop,
and acquire new technologies that engage
younger fans, thus improving visibility of the
ESPN brand and products in the global
marketplace. This will make us more relevant to
affiliates and advertisers and ultimately increase
ESPN’s growth and profitability.

4. The Objective At Large
 Collaboration
between internal
production teams and youth markets
 Explore new technology and how 20somethings are interacting with it
 Continue to elevate brand recognition
through distribution in new platforms
 Remain on the cutting edge: curbing
costs while engaging and informing a new
generation of sports fans

5. Our Vulnerability
 Outdated
thinking
 Not capitalizing on current trends
 Focus on “statistical junkie” as opposed to
browsing, tech-savy fan
 Viewers are spending less time in front of
TV and more time on other media devices
during game
 Average ESPN viewer is age: 37

6. Details of the Operation
 Internet
users – watched 14.3 billion online
videos in December 2008 alone
 Nbc.com Olympic coverage – 1.3 billion
page views over 17 days, highest in history
 Myspace.com (average view time: 26 min)
 Facebook (AVT: 14 min) ESPN – XGames:
23 mins, NBA: 28 mins, MLB: 31 mins

7. Details of the Operation
 Super
bowl – 2 out of 3 viewers went online
at some point during game day
 41%
used the internet during the actual game
 33% logged on during halftime
 CBS
Sports March Madness On Demand
 2008
– 4.8 million unique visitors over 3 weeks
 Total hours consumed online – 4.9 billion
 Boss button (live video on screen replaced by a
(
silent readymade spread sheet with one click )
made for highest visitors during business hours
when people had no access to TV

8. The New Frontier
Social
Networking

9. The New Frontier
Internet
TV

10. The New Frontier
Video
Uploads

11. The New Frontier
Interactivity

12. A Job Well Done
A
new generation of ESPN branded
viewers
 Increased growth and audience reach at
no added cost or risk
 Existing employees who can add
experienced opinion to live events, and
new ventures in studio, scripted, digital
 Fresh forward thinking