While ESPN is counting down to the reported fall release of its direct-to-consumer product called Flagship, it still remains uncertain as to the full details of what elements will make up the new service offered by the network. ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro stated back in November that he is optimistic that the company will reveal Flagship as an enhancement to the user base when consuming content.
CNBC media and sports reporter Alex Sherman joined The Squawk Box on the network this morning and is reporting that user-generated content could be a big piece of the new venture by ESPN to draw in a younger audience to pay and use the service.
“ESPN is trying to figure out how can we court young viewers, particularly Gen Alpha,” said Sherman on CNBC Thursday morning. “The problem is, these kids don’t watch live sports. And the entire ESPN business is predicated on live sports.”
Sherman notes that one of two situations will happen to alleviate this notion. One situation he stated would be the younger generation will age into eventually watching live sports where legalized gambling will be a key hook to reel in viewership. The other option, according to Sherman, could be ESPN getting creative with what content will live on the Flagship platform.
“I think ESPN is trying to figure out maybe we need to be a little bit more creative about how we bring in younger people, and the leagues are on board with this,” Sherman said. “What I’m reporting today is that it may not happen exactly at launch, but ESPN is already thinking about user-generated content to build into this new streaming app. So that’s a new frontier for ESPN.”
The CNBC report mentions that user-generated content has largely lived on YouTube for many years, and the platform leads the space in viewership with very little to no costs to produce most of the content itself.
“Disney writ large is thinking about how do we incorporate user-generated content, because we see it’s so popular with this generation of kids on YouTube,” stated Sherman. “Is there a way of bringing influencers in? Maybe we (ESPN) can create software around our program that allows parents to build something, and they can share something with their kids from a UGC standpoint.”
Sherman reported while details are still ‘hazy’ there is certainly thinking behind the concept and the network is working to see if it can be a part of the Flagship platform.
Pitaro stated back in November that Flagship’s success following the launch will ultimately lead to the content presented.
“We are well set up now for Flagship,” Pitaro said. “If you look at what you really need for Flagship to be successful, you need the content – we’re good. You need the product – we’re good. And we need the enhancements to the product.”
Flagship is still reportedly scheduled to be released this fall.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.
