Just in time for a busy winter sports season, ESPN just kicked off a fresh ad campaign for its streaming push. The network has launched its “Always in Season” ad campaign for the new ESPN DTC app, which reminds reviewers when one sport ends, another is already live across its networks.
The campaign is the next phase of the network’s direct-to-consumer marketing, and is designed to keep eyeballs (and subscriptions) on the ESPN app with ESPN Unlimited. With an ESPN Unlimited subscription, you get all of ESPN’s linear networks and exclusive events all in one place. The streamer is home to more than 47,000 events, including the NFL, NBA, NHL, WWE, WNBA, PGA Tour, college athletics, and more, which is why “Always in Season” leans into it being the year-round sports destination.
Over the next few months, ESPN will be home to several marquee events, including the College Football Playoffs, several NCAA college basketball tournaments, NFL Playoff games, WWE Royal Rumble, among others.
“‘Always in Season’ represents the purpose and promise of what we do at ESPN. Every day is game day. Every day is SportsCenter day. Every day is ESPN 30 for 30 day. There is always a reason to watch ESPN, no matter what sport is in season.” said Jo Fox, Senior Vice President of Marketing at ESPN. “Each day there’s another moment, matchup or reason to be a sports fan, and we’re here for all of it.”
Earlier this year, ESPN ran the SPORTS FOREVER campaign to build buzz ahead of the app’s public debut. That campaign set the stage by leaning on ESPN’s history and scale. Now, the company’s messaging has shifted from “we exist” to “we’re always relevant.” And with the focus on the DTC app, Disney quietly wound down ESPN3 and folded that content into the bigger ESPN ecosystem earlier this month. Instead of having a standalone digital channel, ESPN centralized that viewership (and subscriptions) into one app.
The latest campaign rollout features two spots (“Always in Season” and “Always Trophy Season”) and collaborations with Best Buy, VIZIO, Uber, and other brands. Additionally, new subscribers can still save 40% on their first year of the ESPN Unlimited with the Disney+ and Hulu bundle for a limited time.
