espnW.com Launches Today, December 6
Michelle Beadle, Tamika Catchings, Julie Foudy, Wendi Nix, Summer Sanders,
Sage Steele, Hannah Storm and More to Contribute
ESPN’s new content and digital business initiative for women, espnW,
launches <http://espn.go.com/espnw/> espnW.com today, Dec. 6. Presented in
a blog format, <http://espn.go.com/espnw/> espnW.com will offer fan- and
athlete-centric content geared toward female athletes and sports fans aged
18+. The site, supported by a <http://twitter.com/espnW> Twitter and
<http://www.facebook.com/#!/espnW> Facebook presence, will incorporate posts
by top female sports columnists and bloggers, pro athletes, expert
contributors and news from a variety of ESPN and non-ESPN news outlets. This
1.0 version of espnW.com will serve as a precursor to a more robust web site
with mobile applications and personalized content that will launch in Spring
2011.
” <http://espn.go.com/espnw/> espnW.com represents our commitment to serving
female fans and athletes on a dedicated platform. After more than two years
of research and preparation, we are excited to create a specific community
for women to talk sports and be inspired both as a fan and as a
participant,” said <http://espnmediazone3.com/rs/?r=1588> Laura Gentile, VP
espnW and ESPN RISE digital and publishing. “We are bringing together top
athletes, writers and newsmakers in a way that is authentic to ESPN but will
be unique to espnW’s audience.”
Contributors such as Adena Andrews (formerly NBA.com), Melissa Jacobs (
<http://thefootballgirl.com/> TheFootballGirl.com),
<http://espn.go.com/new-york/columns/archive?name=jane-mcmanus> Jane McManus
(ESPNNewYork.com), Amanda Rykoff ( <http://ocdchick.com/> OCDChick.com) and
Sarah Spain ( <http://espn.go.com/chicago/> ESPNChicago.com) will write
daily posts offering insight on the day’s biggest sports stories across the
entire sports landscape – encompassing men’s and women’s sports. Guest
contributors such as Val Ackerman, Gretchen Bleiler, Tamika Catchings,
<http://espnmediazone3.com/rs/?r=19021> Julie Foudy, Jessica Mendoza, Summer
Sanders and Diana Taurasi will weigh in on a variety of issues as will
ESPN’s own <http://www.espnmediazone3.com/us/2009/10/beadle_michelle/>
Michelle Beadle, <http://www.espnmediazone3.com/us/2010/03/steele_sage/>
Sage Steele, <http://espnmediazone3.com/rs/?r=1496> Wendi Nix and
<http://www.espnmediazone3.com/us/2009/11/storm_hannah/> Hannah Storm.
Special posts will be made throughout the year by
<http://www.espnmediazone3.com/us/2009/10/hill_jemele/> Jemele Hill.
Foudy said, “Having worked with the espnW team and experienced their passion
and energy for this business, I am ecstatic to be part of this breakthrough
effort. ESPN now has a dedicated business focused on elevating women as
participants and as sports fans. I look forward to celebrating many
wonderful athletes and stories.”
Also, espnW.com will provide content for athletes from Gatorade (exclusive
sports nutrition partner) and Nike (exclusive apparel and footwear partner),
two founding partners of espnW. The two companies will have a multi-layered
presence in the spring rollout of espnW.com. Additional partners that will
provide content to espnW.com include Active.com (for active, athletic
women), WomenTalkSports.com (focused on women’s sports news and commentary),
GoTribal.com (focused on endurance sports for women), and The Women’s Sports
Foundation (espnW’s official charity).
Additional features:
* What Matters – Links to top stories curated from ESPN.com and
around the web
* Games We’re Following – Games from across the sports landscape –
including the NFL, NBA, college sports, WNBA, WPS, WTA and others – with
editorial comment from the espnW perspective
* This Week in Women’s Sports – A key moment or event each week from
sports history
* Things To Do Near You – A geo-based sport and activity guide,
powered by Active.com, for athletes
espnW
Founded in July 2009, espnW is a new business from ESPN consisting primarily
of a digital product suite including pc web, mobile web, mobile applications
and social media. espnW’s mission is to serve, inspire and inform the female
athlete and fan.
Source: espnw.com