ESPN has quietly become a major Australian TV network
Upfront with a view: ESPN's event was held at Taronga Park Zoo in Sydney
ESPN wants advertisers to know that it’s the biggest game in town. Since its two linear stations and an assortment of its rich content library became available on Disney+ in March, ESPN claims it has leapfrogged Foxtel’s Kayo and Stan Sports to become Australia’s largest sports streamer.
“The integration meant that ESPN became the most widely distributed sports network in the country,” said Kylie Watson-Wheeler, the senior vice president and managing director, at a sunny ESPN upfront, held at Sydney’s Taronga Park Zoo on Tuesday afternoon.
“We’re now reaching up to 8 million homes. And it represented a real shift. It’s expanded our reach, elevated our brand presence and most importantly, opened the door for millions of Australians to connect with ESPN content – and with your brands. Our strategy and our mission has always been super, super clear. Serve sports fans anytime, anywhere.”
Hmmm … reaching 8m of the current estimated 11.3m homes (also remember that 1m homes were not occupied when the 2021 Census was done) sounds very generous.
A more useful number would be … what is the average number of homes used each day, and also what the average time was.