FOX Sports Digital, Sporting News Media Join Forces On Digital Sports Media Property
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Digital sports brands, FOX Sports Digital and Sporting News Media, a PERFORM Group company, have announced a cross-platform content, distribution, and media partnership that will bolster each company’s ability to offer digital sports video and editorial coverage across the web.
The partnership’s projected reach is expected to be an estimated 55 million plus digital sports fans (1 in every 3) in the US every month.
As part of the long-term agreement, the two companies will share content and traffic across its top sports properties, including FOXSports.com, SportingNews.com and Goal.com, to build a massive, premium digital sports experience for fans and marketers. The new comScore entity will be called “FOX Sports Digital – Sporting News Media.”
Additionally, the partners will develop joint digital video programming and editorial content, joint sales offerings, as well as expand upon each party’s native advertising executions. FOX Sports Digital will also distribute FOXSports.com and FOX Sports 1 video content via the Sporting News ePlayer platform, extending the reach of FOX Sports Digital’s exclusive off-network video opportunities.
“FOX Sports is focused on developing audiences of sports fans across multiple video platforms, including FOXSports.com, YouTube, Facebook, Yardbarker, and now the SN ePlayer platform,” says Pete Vlastelica, Executive Vice President, Digital, FOX Sports. “This partnership extends our multi-platform reach and reinforces our leadership as a supplier of high quality, engaging video inventory for brand advertisers.”
The deal seizes upon an industry-wide trend of audiences increasingly complementing their live game broadcast and shoulder programming consumption with digital video across platforms and devices.
“TV viewers are turning more and more to digital devices before, during and after watching their favorite teams play – they want to see game action they may have missed, get expert insight on what’s happening on-and-off the field, and to engage with their friends and fellow sports fans on social media,” says Juan Delgado, CEO, Sporting News Media commented. “This partnership capitalizes on this seismic shift and will allow us to continue leading the digital evolution in the sports industry.”