ESPN – Beg, Borrow & Deal

ESPN Original Entertainment (EOE) committed to producing a reality game show series called “Beg, Borrow & Deal” (BBD), in which contestants begged, borrowed and dealt their way across the country while working through a series of sports-related challenges. This was ESPN’s first foray into the reality TV genre so our goals were to create a buzz in the media and find creative ways to drive non-sports fans to the network during the show’s eight-week run.

Challenges:

• Create widespread local, regional and national media interest in a new reality show on cable TV when other networks were teeming with this genre of programming
• Drive non-sports fans to ESPN to watch new original programming
• Maintain interest in this new show from ESPN’s hardcore sports audience
• Reach consumers at sporting events and in other public places to encourage them to tune in and watch BBD

Strategy:

• In order to secure widespread media interest in the show, pitch various story angles to sports radio, consumer radio, TV writers, entertainment media, and sports media and focus on hometown pitches for the show’s eight contestants in order to create a groundswell of interest on a local level
• To reach the non-sports fan, promote the show in consumer and entertainment media outlets, such as Entertainment Weekly, Access Hollywood, TV Guide and Hollywood Reporter
• Utilize host and ESPN SportsCenter anchor Rich Eisen to retain credibility among ESPN’s sports audience and keep them engaged in this new type of programming on the network
• Employ guerilla marketing tactics by utilizing street teams to distribute flyers, temporary tattoos and BBD t-shirts to promote the show’s schedule and attract viewers

Results:

• Acquired more than 150 radio interviews, 50 print interviews, and 15 television interviews in consumer and sports media for show’s contestants, producers, and EOE executives
• Maintained credibility among sports audience by lining up 50 interviews for host Rich Eisen with major market sports radio stations
• Guerilla marketing street teams caught the attention of consumers by distributing more than 25,000 flyers and temporary tattoos and 1,000 t-shirts in Times Square and at Giants Stadium, and by camping out in the studio audiences of “The Today Show,” “Good Morning America” and MTV’s “Total Request Live” with signs touting the show’s schedule
• Thanks in large part to the exposure we generated, ESPN picked up “Beg, Borrow & Deal” for a second season

case studies home ...