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Ally Financial has signed a ‘multimillion’ deal with media giant Disney that is designed to enhance gender equity in the coverage provided by sports media giant ESPN.
Confirmed:
- Agreement includes expanded women’s sports highlights, branded content and feature programming across ESPN channels
- 90 per cent of the investment will go towards women’s sport coverage
- Ally to work with Disney’s CreativeWorks team to build custom creative around the theme of gender equity
- Company to sponsor monthly ‘Moment Worth Saving’ segment on ESPN SportsCenter
- Ally becomes the official retail bank of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), title sponsor of the conference’s women’s basketball and soccer tournaments, and presenting partner of 2023 ACC’s women’s lacrosse championship
- Inventory carved out of the ACC Network agreement to create additional opportunities for financial brands
Context:
Women’s sports receive less than ten per cent of US media coverage and media investments are often included as an add-on to men’s packages. Last year Ally pledged to reach a 50-50 split across its media spend on men’s and women’s sports, with Disney challenged by the brand to create a package that fulfilled that goal.
Comment:
“For too long, women’s sports programming has been treated as an afterthought in the media buying process, perpetually giving women athletes the short end in terms of media exposure and income opportunity while limiting investment opportunities for brands. This cycle needs to change,” said Andrea Brimmer, Ally chief marketing and public relations officer.
“We hope to create the kind of systemic change needed to significantly increase visibility, opportunity and fandom in women’s sports.”
Coming next:
The partnership with Ally kicks in for the ACC’s women’s and men’s basketball championships, which get underway on 1st March.
