ESPNU has signed Allstate Insurance Co., Buffalo Wild Wings Grill & Bar, Cisco Systems Inc. and Energizer Holdings Inc. as charter sponsors.
In addition to running spots on the network, which is now available in some 8 million households, each advertiser will have ESPNU-branded on-air features that can run on such sister platforms as ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN.com (espn.go.com), ESPN-The Magazine, ESPN Radio, ESPN Wireless and ESPNEWS.
The deals, terms of which were not disclosed, carry ESPNU category exclusivity, as well as giving each sponsor a marketing focus around a particular sport season.
For example, Energizer and Allstate are executing programs that will run during college-football season, while Cisco’s initiatives primarily run live throughout college-basketball season. Buffalo Wild Wings fare will run during both of those sports.
