1. Inventory + Ad Serving Christina Faurie Manager, Asset Management 2. Sales + Pricing Troy Somero Director, Sales Planning
1. ESPN Digital Inventory & Ad Serving
What is Inventory? Why is it Managed? How is it Managed?
What is Inventory? Assets (stuff with value) that are ready or will be ready for sale
Unique Viewer Display & Mobile Ad Server Video Ad Server Display, Mobile & Video Data Tracking Page View Display Ad Impressions 1 st PARTY 3 rd PARTY
Why is Inventory Managed?
The ESPN Pie
4.5+ Billion (Impressions/mo.) The ESPN Pie
55+ Billion (Impressions/yr.) The ESPN Pie
How is Inventory Managed?
AD SERVING DATA ANALYTICS REPORTING Inventory Management Tools
Forecast Considerations Historical Data Site Design Page Design Ad Serving Ad Execution Programming Changes Current Events
Year 1 Event Delivery Curve
80% traffic decrease Yr. 1 vs. Yr. 2 Event Delivery Curve
35% traffic decrease Year 2 Event, Schedule Adjusted
500% capacity swing Value of Schedule Adjustment
The U.S. Open Golf Championship Year Championship Tiger Woods outlasts Rocco Mediate in Playoff (Monday) despite ailing left knee June Year Championship Lucas Glover won (Phil Mickelson runner-up) despite heavy rain throughout Tiger Woods finish T6, 35% decrease in traffic to section June 18-22
2. ESPN Digital Sales and Pricing
Who does ESPN sell to? Traditional media agencies Advertisers directly Direct Response Ad Networks? Not really Anyone with an advertising budget that wants to buy our inventory
How does ESPN determine pricing? Advertiser history Product/inventory being requested Timing and seasonality What will get the deal done? At the end of the day, it is supply and demand
How does ESPN divide up inventory? By sport By delivery mechanism (Sponsorship, Rotational) By ad execution (Display, Mobile, Video) By device (Tablet, Handset) Whatever the platform is that a client wants to advertise on, ESPN will find a way to fulfill the need
What type of targeting does ESPN offer? Geo Age Gender Time Device Browser FRM Third-party segmentation All of these targeting capabilities allow ESPN to present the same inventory to clients in a variety of ways to be in the best position to make the sale
How is ESPN Sales evolving with industry change? Selling Digital Video to TV agencies Bundling sponsorships together across mediums and devices Using the strength of the Live Sports TV marketplace to help push Digital initiatives Opening up internal systems to external enhancements Flexibility of pricing due to TV/Digital convergence ESPNs broad inventory pool and unique place in the industry as an inelastic property for the Male demo allows the Asset Management team to be flexible in the changing marketplace