Disney's (NYSE: DIS) ESPN is looking at ways to expand its already highly popular web content, going beyond the short clips that feature game wrap up and highlights, as well as breaking news.
They want try out more video content that is exclusive to the Web, along with experimenting with long-form video also.
According to Ed Erhardt, president of customer marketing and sales for ESPN and ABC Sports, "This year, we are going to launch a number of new, original shows only on ESPN.com. We think there's a huge opportunity for that audience on that part of our platform."
Of course that will lead to improving ways it serves ads against its video cotent. Erhardt says he wants to empower marketers to be able to acquire more targeted video content to place their ads against than they are able to now.
Online video ad growth is increasing at a far higher rate than advertising on TV, which has generated concerns about cannibalizing the TV ad business.
I think that's a mute point. Either you end up cannibalizing it or your competitors will. When you do it yourself, it's on your terms, if your competitors do it, you spend your time responding rather than initiating.
With all that said, it's going to take several years before that becomes are real issue we have to face.
Now is the time to try different things with online video in preparation for the strong growth it's going to enjoy for years into the future. ESPN is positioning itself to get its share of the market, so should we.
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