Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: A media company is reimagining its mobile to put its take on the For You Page front and center.
On April 21, ESPN will launch an as-of-yet unnamed feed that will serve vertical videos in an endlessly scrolling feed, according to a report from Sportico. Through a mix of user-generated clips and content from shows like SportsCenter, ESPN will reimagine its on-the-go presence to support a creator-led push.
“We want this to be a fresh feed that you can get lost in whenever you open the app,” said ESPN SVP of Digital, Social, and Streaming Content Kaitee Daley. “Vertical, scrollable video is how so many fans get their information today. I’m just thrilled to be at that moment where we can deliver that.”
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On the surface, ESPN’s plan to introduce a TikTok-style feed is derivative as can be. The Worldwide Leader in Sports isn’t just copying TikTok — it’s copying all the other apps that have already copied TikTok.
In this case, however, the bottomless vertical feed is carving out real estate where ESPN’s growing stable of in-house influencers will be able to do their thing. Katie Feeney, a sports broadcaster known for her TikTok videos, was officially hired at ESPN earlier this month. She is joining House of Highlights founder Omar Raja and all of the other creators who are translating the network’s sports coverage for Gen Z and Gen Alpha.
To reach those generations, ESPN is harnessing IP that has long connected it to young consumers. SportsCenter, the irreverent news show that became a cultural touchstone in the 90s thanks to anchors like Stuart Scott and Dan Patrick, will be featured on the new vertical feed. Daley also alluded to the bygone hub Page 2, which helped launch the careers of pop-conscious commentators like Bill Simmons.
If ESPN is going to make SportsCenter great again, the time is now. The new pro football season is about to begin, and thanks to a blockbuster deal with the NFL, ESPN is ready to provide more gridiron coverage than ever before. Like we saw ahead of last season‘s kickoff, media companies are using the preseason window to announce broad football activations — many of which involve creators.
Though the NFL’s opening week provides a potent platform on which ESPN can promote its redesigned app, the network’s efforts will not stop there. Daley described the current moment as the “first inning” of ESPN’s digital push, so much more is still to come.
