ESPN+ Salutes Fans Whose Favorite Sports Are a Bit Further Afield

So, you hail from Pittsburgh, but root for “a different black and gold” (German soccer squad Borussia Dortmund instead of the NFL’s Steelers). Or you live “a walk away” from Chicago’s Wrigley Field, home of the Cubs, but find yourself irresistibly drawn to the bone-crunching action in the UFC’s Octagon.

In such cases, ESPN+ has you covered, as we learn in this fun spot that touts the streaming service’s commitment to providing specialized, wide-ranging content:

Hey, at least she doesn’t root for the White Sox.

Themed “It Exists Because You Do,” the work targets “fans out there whose sport of choice isn’t the sport of the masses—in this country, at least,” says Greg Hunter, creative director at Preacher, which developed the campaign with Partizan director Jonathan Klein.

“There are actually tons of these fans,” Hunter says. “But you wouldn’t know it based on how hard it’s historically been for them to follow the thing they love. Because of that, they’ve been made to feel left out and overlooked. But ESPN+ was specifically made for these fans, and we wanted them to know it. We wanted them to know that we knew they were out there and make them feel seen for possibly the first time in their fandom. That’s where the idea came from. Not only do we know you exist—but you’re the reason that we do.”

The two-and-a-half-year-old service has tripled its subscriber base in the past year to 8.5 million. “It Exists Because You Do” aims to maintain that momentum and build fresh excitement. More specifically, it aims to differentiate ESPN+—with its menu of sports from the U.S. and around the world (including soccer, rugby and cricket), plus original series and studio shows such as Peyton’s Place and The Fantasy Show—from the main network juggernaut.

“We want current subscribers to see themselves in the spot, while at the same time encouraging others to subscribe and experience it for themselves,” says ESPN vp of marketing Seth Ader.

As sports continue to return amid the pandemic, the flagship network recently took a more epic tack to tout its NFL coverage, crafting this bombastic spot with Arts & Letters fueled by Céline Dion’s rendition of “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now.”

CREDITS

“It Exists Because You Do” :30 & :15 & :06

Client: ESPN+
EVP & General Manager of ESPN+: Russell Wolff
SVP ESPN Marketing: Laura Gentile
VP ESPN Marketing: Seth Ader
VP DSS Creative: Jeremy Manton
ESPN+ Brand Marketing: Nick Pulito
ESPN+ Brand Marketing: Peter Mulally
ESPN+ Brand Marketing: Mikaela Curtin
ESPN+ Brand Marketing: Joel Kolani
ESPN+ Creative: Deb McGuffey
ESPN+ Creative: Alicia Low
ESPN+ Production: Matt Cheron
ESPN+ Production: Jon Little

Agency: Preacher
Chief Creative Officer: Rob Baird
Chief Executive Officer: Krystle Loyland
Chief Strategy Officer: Seth Gaffney
Creative Director/Copywriter: Greg Hunter
Creative Director/Art Director: Kellyn Blount
Sr. Art Director: Melissa Lin
Copywriter: Matt Klugman
Art Director: Eddy Allen
Designer/Studio Artist: Candice Balbuena
Brand Director: Heath Tavrides
Strategy Director: Doug Kleeman
Executive Producer: Stacey Higgins
Senior Producer: Shane Smith
Business Affairs: Miiko Martin

Production Company: Partizan
Executive Producer: Lisa Tauscher
Head of Production: Kelly Martin
Director: Jonathan Klein
Line Producer: Kimi Porter
DP: Rachel Morrison
Casting: RMB Casting

Edit House: Rock Paper Scissors
Executive Producer: Eve Kornblum
Editor: Aaron Tompkins
Assistant Editor: Ollie Nevin

Music: ESPN Library
Executive Producer: N/A
Creative Lead: N/A
Composed By: N/A

Mix: TBD Post
Sound Engineer: Dusty Albertz
Audio Producer: Francess Tom-Sahr

Finish House: Arsenal
Senior Producer: Esther Minitser

Telecine: A52
Colorist: Gregory Reese