Top 10 Performances in Women’s Sports Featured
On April 26, espnW, ESPN’s first dedicated content and digital business designed to serve, inform and inspire female athletes and fans, will unveil its enhanced web site, which will feature more in-depth content, an enhanced user interface, increased social interaction and cleaner navigation.
The content featured on the enhanced site will:
- shine a spotlight on women’s sports, and offer broader coverage;
- provide a unique take and added perspective on the mainstream sports stories of the day;
- offer training information for the active, competitive woman.
espnW is supported by Nike and Gatorade, founding partners who are both committed to supporting female athletes worldwide. Nike provides content through the voice of its athletes as well as training tips and tools and other support. Gatorade provides content, access to athletes and events, and sports nutrition education focused specifically on the female athlete.
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espnW vice president Laura Gentile also touches on a variety of other topics in the videos, including the espnW target audience (sports-minded women 18-34), espnW’s extensive research and founding partners NIKE and Gatorade.
Gentile stated: “ESPN has served women for decades… espnW takes it to the next level providing additive content and truly being that complement to all that ESPN already does.”
“We’ve been developing espnW for…three years. We spoke to 2000 girls and 2000 women in extensive research to gain insight into girls’ and women’s experiences with sports and how we can improve that experience. A lot of the work you’re seeing and a lot you will see is based on those insights and really listening to women around the country about what they…want from us.”
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Enhanced Web Site:
On April 26, espnW will unveil an enhanced web site at espnW.com. The site has expanded from a blog-format to a more robust online presence, continuing to cover women’s and men’s sports while offering several expanded sections across News & Information, Features & Profiles and Training. Some events that will receive in-depth coverage include the Women’s College World Series, the NBA and NHL Playoffs and FIFA Women’s World Cup 2011.
As part of the enhanced site, espnW will count down the list of the Top 10 Performances in Women’s Sports over the past 30 years. Michelle Beadle will host.
Tina Johnson, editor-in-chief of espnW.com, explains some key areas on the site and discusses the editorial vision of espnW, from elevating women’s sports while providing relevant coverage of men’s sports and the key sports stories of the day, to a greater focus on training information for the everyday athlete.
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Key Web Site Enhancements:
- More robust News & Opinion section will bring together top athletes, writers and newsmakers in a way that is authentic to ESPN but unique to espnW’s audience. Chatter Box will feature a topic of the moment in the sports world and allow for ongoing dialogue; Ask the Pros will let readers ask questions of espnW’s panel of pro athletes; extensive coverage of the Women’s College World Series, the NBA and NHL Playoffs, Wimbledon and FIFA Women’s World Cup 2011.
- New Features & Profiles section will provide in-depth stories surrounding issues in sports as well as compelling stories about athletes. London Calling will follow Kathryn Bertine’s quest to make the 2012 U.S. Olympic cycling team; Pioneer, Present, Future will be an ongoing column that selects a sport and looks at an athlete that helped shape it as a pioneer, current athlete or future star; Pro’s Questionnaire will be an abridged personality test of key figures in sports based on the Proust Questionnaire.
- Expanded Training section designed to help athletes achieve their goals. Give Me 10 will show the best way to use 10 minutes; Feast on This will provide information on nutrition that works best with training routines; Sideline Report will offer information on common sports-related injuries.
- Current popular espnW content such as Things to Do Near You, What We’re Reading, Games We’re Watching, and About Last Night will carry over to the enhanced site.
- 20,000 Active.com® Trainer plans will be distributed free on a first-come, first-served basis to individuals who sign up on the site. The Active.com Trainer plans help users plan, log and share their results as they train for a range of fitness activities including 5K and 10K races, half and full marathons, and triathlons.
About espnW:
espnW’s mission is to serve, inform and inspire today’s female athlete and fan. The site provides an engaging environment where women are an integral part of the sports conversation, can share their perspective on the news of the day and find motivation and support for their athletic goals. Both men’s and women’s sports are covered on espnW.com.
Founded in July 2009, espnW, [espnw.com], is a developing business that consists primarily of a digital product suite including pc web, mobile web, and social media. The espnW blog launched in Dec. 2010 with an enhanced web site debuting on April 26, 2011. Founding partners Nike and Gatorade provide content to espnW.com. The Women’s Sports Foundation is espnW’s official charity of choice.
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Contacts: Diane Lamb at diane.lamb@espn.com or Colleen Stack Lynch at colleen.s.lynch@espn.com
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