Online Destination for Dallas/Fort Worth Sports Fans to Feature Original Local Coverage, Daily ESPNDallas SportsCenter, ESPN Radio 103.3 FM Audio;StubHub, Crown Royal, VIP Motorcars.net, Bud Light Signed as Launch Advertisers

ESPNDallas.com, the newest ESPN local site, is set to launch next Monday as the newest destination for Dallas/Fort Worth sports news and information.  The site features exclusive, original content, content from contributors familiar to Texans, and original locally-relevant content created from ESPN’s multiple platforms, branded programming and award-winning contributors.

 

“At the core of this initiative is the idea that sports fans want an easy way to get the sports news and information they are most passionate about in a blend of media – words, video, audio, photos and more,” said Jim Pastor, senior vice president, ESPN local digital.  “That is represented not only by the site, but by the multi-talented people that will be creating content. They are the ideal blend of sport-specific expertise and versatility – combining authoritative voices with dogged reporting and an ability to deliver the information across multiple types of media.”

ESPNDallas.com is in the process of hiring multiple reporters and writers to bring their voices and daily coverage of area teams and sports to fans via words, video and audio content.

 

The site will also feature contributions from veteran ESPN reporters and writers connected closely to Dallas, who will provide original content on Dallas/Fort Worth sports topics.  Regular contributors will include:

• Matt Mosley – An award-winning writer formerly with the Dallas Morning News and current NFC East blogger on ESPN.com, will cover the Dallas Cowboys;
• Marc Stein – Senior NBA writer for ESPN.com since 2002 and formerly of the Dallas Morning News, will add his insights and analysis on the Dallas Mavericks;
• Ed Werder – Dallas-based bureau reporter for ESPN for eleven years, will contribute to Dallas sports coverage.

The site will also be the exclusive home of ESPNDallas SportsCenter, hosted by SC anchors and produced originally each day.  The video series will provide fans a 3-6 minute roundup of the city and region’s sports news, teams, highlights, figures and stories each day.

The site also builds on the eight and a half-year success of ESPN’s owned and operated radio station (ESPN Radio 103.3 FM) and its dynamic Web presence. The site offers a clean design and navigation, and a combination of breaking news, blogs, video, audio, analysis and features. The Web home for ESPN Radio 103.3 will be a section on ESPNDallas.com.

Overseeing the day-to-day editorial operations of ESPNDallas.com is Managing Editor Barry Vigoda, a twelve-year veteran with the Dallas Morning News most recently with DallasNews.com.  The site is expected to add additional dedicated writers and editors for other major professional sports teams, collegiate sports programs and, in time, extend to small college and regional high school coverage, a core passion for Texas sports fans.

The new site will also feature:

• A custom Dallas/Fort Worth video hub, offering a library for the latest highlights, news, analysis and original content from ESPN programs including exclusive, original Dallas content from the teams at ESPN programs including Baseball Tonight, NFL Live, College Football Live and more.
• An integrated video and audio experience, featuring a dynamic 16×9 video player on the front page and index pages, and one-click access to the ESPN Radio SuperStream audio player with live ESPN 103.3 FM audio and access to ESPN’s catalog of podcasts and on-demand audio.
• An ESPNDallas.com mobile Web extension will launch within the week at mobi.espndallas.com, bringing the news, features, scoreboards, and more to fans on their mobile devices.
• Photo galleries featuring images from Dallas/Fort Worth area events.

The launch of ESPNDallas.com coincides with the ESPN’s Monday Night Football matchup of the Dallas Cowboys vs. Carolina Panthers (7 p.m. ET) live from the new Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, TX.

At launch, ESPNDallas.com includes multiple charter advertisers, including StubHub, Crown Royal, VIP Motorcars.net and Bud Light.

ESPNBoston.com & ESPNChicago.com

ESPNBoston.com has started strong since its launch on September 14, with nearly 3 million visits and more than nearly 5 million page views in 10 days, according to Omniture traffic data.  Additionally, fans viewed SportsCenter Boston more than 700,000 times.  Coverage of Tom Brady’s focus on the New York Jets defense, and not comments from Jets’ coach Rex Ryan, was the most-read story.

ESPN has also reached an agreement with the Kraft Sports Group (KSG) to serve as the local advertising sales agent for ESPNBoston.com.  Through the agreement, KSG will oversee local ad sales and sponsorship, while ESPN will sell national advertising. The two companies will co-market the site.

ESPNChicago.com was ESPN’s first local site (launched in April), and has already established itself as the top sports site for Chicago fans and among the most popular news and information destinations for Chicago residents. The site struck a content syndication agreement with The Huffington Post Chicago and collaborates with ABC-owned TV station WLS to deliver easy access to Chicago news, traffic and weather.

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