Disney Advertising and Ally Financial have furthered their partnership to create women-focused SportsCenter takeovers on ESPN, the company announced on Thursday. These takeovers will emphasize memorable moments in women’s sports, and are the latest endeavor in the landmark deal between the two entities. The digital financial services outlet made a multi-year, multimillion dollar investment focused on accentuating the impact of women in sports and helping foster more equitable levels of coverage.
The first of two SportsCenter takeovers takes place on tonight’s 11 p.m. EST/8 p.m. PST edition of the show and will be anchored by Elle Duncan and Nicole Briscoe. On Aug. 11, the second women’s takeover will occur, highlighting the commitment of both entities to promulgate the abilities and strides made by women. Last year, over 33,000 hours of women’s sports programming aired on ESPN, and the network continues to hold the espnW Summit, which brings women in sports and media together to connect, share ideas and help foster growth.
“At Disney, we prioritize amplifying women’s sports and collaborating with like-minded brands to tell diverse sports stories,” Deidra Maddock, vice president of sports brand solutions at Disney Advertising, said in a statement. “This particular execution with Ally marks the first time that we’ve developed such a unique combination of tactics and solutions to elevate women in sports – and we’re incredibly proud to be working alongside them on this initiative.”
Ally Financial is the exclusive sponsor of the takeovers and will have its own content filling commercial time throughout the two shows. Additionally, the firm will have various forms of custom branding throughout the program, including live commercials delivered by the anchors to transition into pre-produced content. Parts of the brand campaign were developed in-house by ESPN CreativeWorks in concert with creative agency Anomaly and media agency “EssenceMediacom.”
As part of the brand campaign, ESPN basketball analyst Monica McNutt and former WNBA superstar Sue Bird took part in several 60-second spots titled “Flip the Game.” These spots will demonstrate an alternate reality where men’s sports struggle to receive support and how a financial services company seeks to help them gain a share of the spotlight.
“ESPN is a leader in women’s sports coverage, and Ally is a leader in international and equitable sports media investments,” Stephanie Marciano, head of sports and entertainment marketing at Ally, said in a statement. “Together, we’re demonstrating our shared commitment to elevating women’s sports. These takeovers, which are unique and creative, deliver an important message – increasing visibility and investment changes the game. Our collaboration is another example of how brands and media can work together to advance women’s sports and meet fan demand.”
