WPS Marketing Ideas - ESPN???

[Duncan Swezey]

I think the WPS needs to ramp up marketing a little more this year. When I tell some people there is a Women's Professional Soccer League they look at me like I am crazy. I believe the reason for this is because the channel everyone watches their sports on is ESPN SportsCenter and Women's Pro Soccer never makes any appearances. If the WPS could make one top ten a week during the season it would let millions of people know their actually is Women's Pro Soccer League.

Marta does something amazing every week and I know there plenty of amazing plays by the unbelievable talent this league has to offer. The world needs to see this!!!

Thoughts??

[chevy]

I do agree more exposure on ESPN would help the league reach more people. Jacqueline Perdy(I think that is her name), does weekly write-ups on the league each week on ESPN.com. With the launch of the ESPN city sites there should be more opportunity for her to do more local peices for the individual teams as well.

As for ESPN itself it is just now starting to insert soccer coverage into its highlight shows and mainly the EPL and the Spanish league. If this trend continues ESPN will cover more MLS and WPS during the summer monthes. One improvement that needs to occur in WPS is an increase in scoring. Too many games with 1-0 scores will not draw the buzz to draw more highlight coverage. Also if the teams hosting games don't make video highlights available quick enough they are not going to get on FSN or ESPN highlight shows.

[Supermokh]

ESPN NEVER promote WUSA, I'm not hoping for ESPN to promote WPS.
They WILL NEVER will.
Even the local media (NBC,ABC,CBS, FOX & Cable companies Comcast, DirecTV), they did nothing to promote WPS,
This big media companies, they don't care with womens sports, this recent 2009 UEFA Womens Championship in Helsinki, Finland, did ESPN or any cable companies, carried LIVE telecast or delay telecast?
This comming WPS season 2010, I will be at the stadium, cheering, screaming my lung out, for my WPS favourite team. See you guys, at the stadium.

[Duncan Swezey]

Never say NEVER...I believe if the right people are reached SOMEBODY can make it happen. Just cause it did not happen for the WUSA does not mean it cannot happen for the WPS. This a new league, new players, new coaches, new owners... I could go on and on. Plus, I believe I see Women's Pro Basketball on ESPN every now and then. Not all the time but they get their plugs here and there; and it still lets people know there is a league and that is what the WPS needs. Another plus for the WPS is it has the best players in the world!!! Not just the United States like Women's Pro Basketball; this league has the best players from all over the earth. I think that is a pretty large demographic and the only way to reach everyone is through different media platforms other than FoxSoccerChannel. The coverage was great but only a select few get to see these games. How bout the WPS gets games where it is thrust in front of people's faces, i.e SPORTSCENTER!!!

The local media outlets could also help do a better job. I know Comcast showed a few games which is great but they need more.

More advertisements are needed outside of FoxSoccerChannel too. I know it cost money to make commercials and print ads but you have to spend money to make money.

I will still be cheering my lungs out like I did this season but I would like these girls to get the recognition they deserve and surpass the expectations of fans!!!

[Phil Rolla]

It's a money thing. End of story.

ESPN actually did cover the beginning weeks of WUSA. But as the league quickly lost its fanbase, ESPN dropped the coverage. It's a money thing.

WPS is broadcast on Fox - a direct competitor of ESPN. ESPN will not help promote something on a rival network unless they can make money from it.

Right now ESPN doesn't cover ANY sport that draws 4000 fans a game. They broadcast bowling on their own network, but don't even cover it. It's a money thing. If they think viewers (which = ratings, which = money) want WPS, they will give it to us. But it has to be enough viewers to mean something to ESPN's bottom line.

If enough people write in to ESPN.com and say they want to see the WPS results on Sportscenter, it will happen. If enough people write to ESPN and tell them they have to tune from ESPN to FSC to get their WPS results, ESPN will do something. TV is all about ratings. They say one letter equals a thousand viewers. So if a thousand WPS fans write in to ESPN, that's like telling them there are a million viewers wanting this - trust me, they will do something.

The only other way is for some big corporations to step in and put up sponsorship dollars. Puma has been great, but they can't do it alone. If the WPS grabbed two or three other MAJOR corporate sponsors, that means money is flowing, changing hands. And ESPN will notice.

They ignored the EPL and Spanish league for years... until big money came into it. Big Sponsorship money. Now, they are not only covering the leagues, they are broadcasting them every weekend on ESPN2.

[Supermokh]

It doesn't matter which cable companies, let it be ESPN, Fox Sport or Comcast Sportnet, when there is a WPS game on the day, if they not going to show the video, but ALEAST, show the RESULT of the game.
Right now, kudos to FOX Soccer Channel (FSC), for telecast the WPS 2009 games every Sunday.

[Lily W.]

I am disappointed that Oprah hasn't done a segment on the league. She is a big supporter of women but has ignored this league while getting behind Chicago's Olympic drive. I think the league should approach Oprah and get her to do a segment on the league. Why not invite her to a practice somewhere in the spring and let her work out, too? One team did a fan clinic the other day. That would have been perfect!

[Filipe]

It is nice to see female football developing, in my humble opinion you are going in the right direction.

Even here in Europe you are starting to see more and more female players, so i believe it is a question of time.

now a litle bit of ad:) - Meanwhile, if you wish to promote yourself, visit and be part of the portal that is changing the sport!

Cya!

Rayleague.com

[Duncan Swezey]

I believe that female soccer is going in the right direction but I still feel they need more exposure to the world that does not know they exist i.e. MARKETING!!! I am completely agree with Supermokh that if they cannot get highlights or a game on ESPN they should at least get them to show scores. Even RESULTS of the games would put them on the map more than they already are.

More people need to know the league exists even if they do not support it.

I also agree with Lily W. and getting Oprah to support the league. If they brought some of the famous faces on her show to talk about the game or had her out to a practice it would open very large doors for the WPS!!!

[Alondra]

Just getting scores on ESPN would help a lot! But I think we will only watch a WPS match on ESPN in maybe 5-10 years. The league can't make that big of an upgrade. They lost more money than they anticipated this season and it's still too early to start making drastic changes, and to spend money they don't have.

It's just a matter of time before the league will be big, like the WNBA even. I think this league will go on for a while, not just 3 years, but we have to be patient with it. Believe me, I'm the first one to agree with you Duncan, but it just can't happen right now. I think the next step would be for the league to have ALL games on FSC instead of one weekly game, THEN we can start focusing on spending more money to reach an even bigger fan base.

[Huey Bahr]

Alondra said:

I think the next step would be for the league to have ALL games on FSC instead of one weekly game, THEN we can start focusing on spending more money to reach an even bigger fan base.

Broadcasting every game is a big step, but we can take a few small steps in 2010.

Chicago, Atlanta, Washington, and Los Angeles all have both WNBA and WPS teams. So here is a simple idea: promote each other's games to encourage the developement of women's professional sports. As fans, we can wear WPS t-shirts to WNBA games.

Boston, Northern New Jersey, Philadelphia, Washington, Chicago, Santa Clara, Los Angeles have MLS and WPS teams. Same Idea again: promote each other's games to encourage the developement of professional soccer. As fans, we can wear WPS t-shirts to MLS games.

If your local paper's sports section doesn't cover WPS, mail a letter summarizing the play after every home game to the sports editor.

[Best Fan]

Great ideas.I just posted a note to the "comish" aasking for "guy stuff" like t shirts and sweats that I could wear with WPS and /or Freedom logos and/or names of favorite players. I think that his would be relativley cheap advertising for the WPS.