ESPN

ESPN is the American media holding specializing in sports entertainment channels.

For July, 2014 in a portfolio of the company more than 50 resources: cable and satellite TV channels of high definition, radio station, magazines, shops selling sports attributes, restaurants of sports subject and so forth.

The ESPN holding for 80% belongs to The Walt Disney Company and for 20% of Hearst Corporation. It is known that ESPN — one of the most profitable assets of Disney. Revenue of holding, however, is not isolated in financial reports of Disney, but, by Forbes estimates, makes around $10-11 billion. The cost of all of ESPN is estimated at the level of $50 billion (Disney costs about $149 billion).

Business in Russia

2014: Plans of start of the website ESPN FC

In July, 2014 it became known that ESPN plans start in Russia of a pilot project — the local version of the ESPN FC Internet resource devoted to soccer. Izvestia was reported about it by a source in structures of Disney. According to the representative of head office ESPN, in the nearest future you should not wait for a project startup of Espnfc.ru^[1].

The solution to start the multimedia portal about soccer of Espnfc.ru connects a source of Izvestia including with holding in Russia the FIFA World Cup of 2018. In already available English-language version of ESPN FC (started in 1995 under the name Soccernet) in addition to news, an interview and reports from the world of soccer there are sections devoted to results of matches, transfers of football players, news of the national championships.

In directorate for public relations of Disney in Russia did not disprove and did not confirm information on a project startup. Department of Disney in Russia is engaged in broadcasting of own TV channel and licensing of various information and entertaining and consumer products of corporation.

The head office ESPN did not deny information of Izvestia, but follows from the comment that in the current international situation the company will not hurry with imposition of Espnfc.ru.

— At the moment we have no urgent plans for start of the Russian version of ESPN FC — the representative of ESPN Paul Melvin reported, having refused further comments.

Participants of the Russian market of sports media consider that ESPN FC though the powerful player, but the portal should not expect fast entry into the market.

— Opportunities for entry into the market of sports media in Russia are. Another thing is that even for such powerful players as ESPN, the way will not be covered with roses because the Russian players too rather strong — the head and the co-owner of Sports.ru sports portal Dmitry Navosha says.

About sport for the last month, on LiveInternet counter data, enter into number of the most visited Internet portals:

• Sportbox.ru,
• Championat.com,
• Sport-Express,
• RBC Sport and
• Sovetsky Sport,"
• R-sport",
• Soccer.ru,
• FootballRussia.ru,
• Live-TV,
• "Soccer on Kulichkakh".

The most quoted media resources about sport in the second quarter 2014 researchers of Medialogiya call "R-sport", Sport-Express, Sovetsky Sport, All Sport news agency, Championat.com, "Sport day after day", Sportbox.ru, Sports.ru, radio "Zenit" and Russia 1 TV channel.

Navosha notes that among foreign players in local sports media it is possible to select unless Eurosport, foreign players in the market are not enough. Perhaps, Navosha says, the foreign companies are attracted more by densely populated Asia. Navosha considers the fact that the American company can begin to work in Russia significant — "from entry into the market of such bisons as ESPN, the market will become stronger".

— The market of sports media will only grow in Russia — the interlocutor continues. — In spite of the fact that the monthly audience of top players exceeds 5 million people, interest in sport is in Russia at a low level. For Western Europe and in the USA these digits are much higher — every month sports resources are read by tens of millions of people. It is healthy if any strong companies at us work and urge on the others.

He estimates a payback period of the Internet portals about sport in 3–4 years. Only later this time they can begin to earn. Navosha considers that the American companies are ready to such waiting.

Interesting Facts

In 2013 in an advertizing filmlet of ESPN the role of the Russian spy was played by the forward of Washington Capitals and Russian hockey team Alexander Ovechkin.

Notes