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ESPN Scores With Fans
By: Audrey Sellers, Associate Editor
Issue: January/Expo 2010

To get basketball fans to tune in to ESPN and ABC’s coverage of NBA games, the sports network hit the streets.

Basketball season is in full swing and fans have a big reason to get pumped up: ESPN could be swinging into their city on its “NBA on ESPN RV Tour” and doling out plenty of promotional products along the way. This is the third season for ESPN personalities to travel by RV to NBA games throughout the United States, hoping to boost viewership.

“The ‘NBA on ESPN RV Tour’ allows us to truly connect with NBA fans both online and on-site at the games,” says Jeffrey Gonyo, ESPN’s senior director of marketing. “With the goal of the campaign to drive tune in, our television audience for the past two seasons continues to rise and we hope to ride that wave of momentum into the ’09-’10 season.”

The campaign kicked off in October with the San Antonio Spurs home opener against the New Orleans Hornets. With the RV parked in a prominent location outside the arena, fans crowded around for a tour of the RV and the chance to participate in activities such as free-throw contests, vertical jump challenges and souvenir photo stations. Logoed giveaways, including t-shirts, backpacks, rally towels and mini basketballs, got the crowd excited.

“Our first priority is for everyone walking away from the RV to have a positive emotional tieback to ESPN. The promotional giveaways are a physical way to remind the fans of their positive experience and therefore tune in to ESPN for all the NBA action,” says Darren Lachtman, director of business development for rEvolution, the Chicago-based sports marketing and media agency that produced the campaign.

“Creating face-to-face connections with fans is a priority for ESPN as it allows the brand to build upon fan loyalty in a truly engaging environment,” Lachtman says. “We want fans to walk away with the feeling that ESPN understands NBA fans. The RV allows us to achieve this goal as fans are able to experience the brand in a personal and interactive manner.”

Last season, the RV crisscrossed 40,000 miles across the country, stopping at more than 30 NBA games in 14 states. Will the RV pull in to your city? Track its progress online and view photos and videos of tour stops on the RV’s Facebook fan page and Twitter feed .