Disney Spends Millions: Rebrand Wide World of Sports Complex as ESPN
Posted by Ashley McChesney on Sat, Nov 07, 2009 @ 10:36 AM
Walt Disney sports complex in central Florida will be renamed on February 25th 2009 after ESPN, in a move to strengthen the well-known sports brand's ties with young athletes. The shift targets the 500,000 athletes and 1.5 million spectators who annually visit the 220-acre multisport complex near Disney's theme park in Orlando, Florida.
Ken Potrock, Disney's senior vice president of global sports said,
"The youth athlete is the pipeline for tomorrow for ESPN and their ability to build an association and loyalty among that constituency, both male and female, is a major opportunity,"
In addition, Disney hopes this will help it lure larger and more varied athletic events to Wide World of Sports Disney complex.
The 10-year-old complex will be renamed the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex on February 25 and ESPN will use its on-air talent to customize and personalize the experience for the athletes.
Disney has 40 digital boards and Jumbotron screens around the property that will show clips of action at the complex, narrated by ESPN on-air personalities. Visitors also will be able to view game action taking place at the complex on a dedicated TV channel in any one of Disney's 27,000 hotel rooms at the nearby resort.
Disney will be building a 2,500-square-foot, state-of-the-art broadcast center with eight edit bays where technicians will able to produce professional-grade highlight packages and event recaps that will be played on screens throughout the venue.
Disney also opened the ESPN Innovations lab in October to solidify the rebranding effort.
"The ESPN Innovation Lab is an extension of ESPN's commitment to being a leader in technology. This cutting-edge production house will foster creativity and the development of new tools to provide fans the best on-air coverage of sporting events."
-Chuck Pagano, executive vice president, technology, ESPN.
The mission of ESPN's state-of-the-art facility is to enhance the viewer's experience by utilizing the world-class playing fields and the 250,000 youth and pro athletes who use them annually to develop new products during actual game conditions. This working research facility will also be open at certain times of the year for visitors to view the company's emerging-technology staff at work and get a sneak peak at upcoming technological advancements.
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