ESPN Creating Online Sports Destination for Women This Fall: ESPN W. - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

JamesG · 10-18-2010, 12:05 PM

ESPN for Women: Condescending or a Good Idea?
by Jean Bentley
posted Oct 18th 2010

Women are getting their own online sports destination from ESPN -- whether they like it or not.

ESPN's new women's brand, ESPN W., is launching this fall as a website, but could eventually become its own network, The New York Times reports. Laura Gentile, vice president of ESPN W., said the brand will be marketed toward women 18-34, and the site will launch this fall.

While some women's sports figures support the new brand -- "I don't think there's ever been this much planning, research and commitment before," said tennis legend Billie Jean King -- critics worry that a separate women-only presence is condescending, and would diminish the presence of women's sports on the flagship network.

"It seems like this is the broadcasting equivalent of making something pink and putting sparkles on it," wrote Cubs fan blogger Julie DiCaro. "For those of us that have worked really hard to keep up with the boys, that's kind of tough to hear."

But Gentile said that's not what the site would be about.

"We're not going to do anything to condescend to fellow women because we are women, and we are sports fans at our core," she told the Times.

"So as much as we will be talking about the WNBA a bit more and talking about women's college basketball a bit more, we'll also be talking about the NFL and the NBA and everything that sports fans care about."

The Times noted that a University of Southern California study found that womens' sports comprised only 1.4 percent of the airtime on "SportsCenter" this year, a decrease from 2.2 percent in 2000.

Michael A. Messner, one of the study's authors, said ESPN W. "might ultimately ghettoize women's sports and kind of take ESPN off the hook in terms of actually covering them on its main broadcast."

However, Gentile said that a new brand is necessary because women prefer storytelling in their media coverage, and they like to learn more about female athletes and their accomplishments.

"The idea is potentially cultivating this fan base of women's sports fans, where 10 years from now, girls are growing up truly feeling like ESPN is made for them and ESPN is truly their brand," she said.

http://www.tvsquad.com/2010/10/18/es...r-a-good-idea/

TMC · 10-26-2010, 01:36 PM

That will go as well as ESPN Mobile!

10-18-2010, 12:05 PM	#1
JamesG Freakshow Moderator Forum Icon Join Date: Feb 01, 2008 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 57,235	ESPN Creating Online Sports Destination for Women This Fall: ESPN W. ESPN for Women: Condescending or a Good Idea? by Jean Bentley posted Oct 18th 2010 Women are getting their own online sports destination from ESPN -- whether they like it or not. ESPN's new women's brand, ESPN W., is launching this fall as a website, but could eventually become its own network, The New York Times reports. Laura Gentile, vice president of ESPN W., said the brand will be marketed toward women 18-34, and the site will launch this fall. While some women's sports figures support the new brand -- "I don't think there's ever been this much planning, research and commitment before," said tennis legend Billie Jean King -- critics worry that a separate women-only presence is condescending, and would diminish the presence of women's sports on the flagship network. "It seems like this is the broadcasting equivalent of making something pink and putting sparkles on it," wrote Cubs fan blogger Julie DiCaro. "For those of us that have worked really hard to keep up with the boys, that's kind of tough to hear." But Gentile said that's not what the site would be about. "We're not going to do anything to condescend to fellow women because we are women, and we are sports fans at our core," she told the Times. "So as much as we will be talking about the WNBA a bit more and talking about women's college basketball a bit more, we'll also be talking about the NFL and the NBA and everything that sports fans care about." The Times noted that a University of Southern California study found that womens' sports comprised only 1.4 percent of the airtime on "SportsCenter" this year, a decrease from 2.2 percent in 2000. Michael A. Messner, one of the study's authors, said ESPN W. "might ultimately ghettoize women's sports and kind of take ESPN off the hook in terms of actually covering them on its main broadcast." However, Gentile said that a new brand is necessary because women prefer storytelling in their media coverage, and they like to learn more about female athletes and their accomplishments. "The idea is potentially cultivating this fan base of women's sports fans, where 10 years from now, girls are growing up truly feeling like ESPN is made for them and ESPN is truly their brand," she said. http://www.tvsquad.com/2010/10/18/es...r-a-good-idea/ Attached Images

10-26-2010, 01:36 PM	#2
TMC Member Forum Idol Join Date: Jan 09, 2001 Posts: 127,226	That will go as well as ESPN Mobile!