ARCHIVES: This is legacy content from before Marketing Dive acquired Mobile Marketer in early 2017. Some information, such as publication dates, may not have migrated over. Check out the new Marketing Dive site for the latest marketing news.

ESPN offers packaged mobile content deal to Sprint subscribers

ESPN is letting Sprint customers stay on top of sports news, scores and fantasy teams via a pre-loaded content pack on their mobile devices.

The ESPN pack is part of Sprint ID, a service that downloads applications, widgets, wallpapers, ringtones and other content related to a person?s interest at the push of a button. In addition to news and scores, users can get mobile access to their favorite ESPN shows.

?Our goal is to offer a more personalized mobile experience through a package that fans will appreciate when they?re away from home,? said Matt Murphy, senior vice president of digital distribution at ESPN, Bristol, CT. ?Accessing content directly from the home screen of a device allows for quicker, one-stop access to the content fans want most ? scores, clips, live events, fantasy and more. 

?Discoverability is a bigger challenge now with the proliferation of mobile Web sites and apps in stores, and the ESPN pack is a way to bring our services to the forefront, break through the clutter and thus increase usage,? he said.

ESPN Mobile is devoted to extending the ESPN brand and distributing sports content over the wireless medium.

Mobile features
Owners of select Sprint devices such as LG Optimus S, Sanyo Zio, Samsung Transform and other upcoming Sprint handsetswill be able to choose the ESPN ID pack.

Users can view scores right on their home screen and have one-tap access to sports news and fantasy teams.

Additionally, users can view various ESPN programs, including more than 900 live events per year on ESPN Mobile TV.

?Sprint has created an innovative solution to offer branded content from ESPN in a unique way,? Mr. Murphy said. ?We are always open to discussing other creative mobile concepts to the challenges consumers face in this fast-evolving new platform.

?In-store activation will be the primary source for getting the word out about our ID pack,? he said. ?Users who choose a new Sprint ID device will be asked to pick a pre-loaded pack upon purchase, and sports fans can easily identify with having ESPN on their devices.

Extra, extra
Users can customize their device by choosing from a variety of ESPN wallpapers and ringtones.
The ESPN pack includes access to the ScoreCenter applications where users can keep up with the latest scores and stats from 500 leagues around the world, video on demand, ESPN mobile TV, fantasy sports and ESPN extras.

?Mobile is key to our multiplatform strategy,? Mr. Murphy said. ?We will continue to push app development across all devices, with a greater emphasis on personalization and customization. 

?As always, we believe video is valuable to our offering, and we?ll continue to find new ways to deliver that content to fans,? he said.

Final Take
Sprint ID features many retailers