Disney wants to help advertisers reach more of the sports fans under its own roof.
The entertainment giant this August will launch a new interactive hub called ESPN Fan House that aims to bring fans closer to the sports they enjoy — and make advertisers part of the exchange. The new “Fan House” will debut alongside ESPN’s college football coverage, which includes one of its most popular properties, “College GameDay.”
Fans will be able to take part in live polls. trivia and sweepstakes and examine merchandise and brand integrations, at on-site events, while watching from home or during interactions with social and digital platforms.
“As fans increasingly expect connected experiences, we’re creating new ways to bring them closer to the
moments they care about most,” said Rita Ferro, president, global advertising at The Walt Disney
Company, in a prepared statement. “The scale and frequency of college football creates an unmatched platform for sustained fan connections — each game week is a new opportunity to deepen that relationship. ESPN Fan House gives fans more ways to engage with ESPN while giving brands a direct connection to those moments.”
Publicis Sports has already struck an agreement to take part in the new initiative.
The move has Disney, like other traditional media companies, leaning harder on sports to help monetize relationships with advertisers. In the streaming era, sports telecasts have proven especially durable, largely because they continue to draw the large, simultaneous live crowds Madison Avenue still craves. Disney is counting on its heady football slate — college games plus, in 2027, its first Super Bowl in more than 20 years — to draw interest in other live events, including the Grammys and the Oscars.
“Live sports are among the very few things that remain AI-proof, and fans are craving deeper connections
to the moments that matter,” said Suzy Deering, CEO, Publicis Sports, in a statement. “Having a solution like ESPN Fan House helps brands reach fans in those moments and provides an opportunity for deeper engagement, impact and measurement. When combined with our extensive portfolio of solutions and insights from our unique fan graph, it enables us to better help our clients grow fan engagement and maximize their sports investments.”
The new hub will rely on Flowcode, a company that generates customizable QR codes that can be updated in real time and often feature colors and other elements that help make the advertiser using it more distinguishable from similar efforts.