MSNBC to launch sports site
The new site is late to enter the crowded Net sports field, but it has NBC Sports' vast resources in its court.
The new site, dubbed MSNBCSports.com, is coming late to a market that some analysts say is already saturated. A joint effort from MSNBC and NBC Sports, the site will be competing with ESPN SportsZone, CBS SportsLine, and CNNSI, as well as niche sites dedicated to specific sports.
According to Merrill Brown, editor in chief of MSNBC on the Internet, MSNBCSports has the "home field advantage" among its competition: NBC Sports. MSNBCSports will have exclusive access to the network's enviable library of broadcasting rights, which include National Football League, National Basketball Association, and Major League Baseball sports events, as well as promotional opportunities during NBC Sports broadcasts.
"Obviously offline, NBC is an incredible brand in terms of sports events, but their lives are not predicated on sports. ESPN's life is. Their business is sports and they can do that all day long," said Patrick Keane, an analyst with Jupiter Communications.
MSNBCSports will feature MSNBC sports coverage, as well as multimedia audio and video clips, chat areas, and bulletin boards. While MSNBC will still feature sports coverage, MSNBCSports will benefit from the expanded partnership with NBC Sports, offering complementary pre- and post-game information. According to Keane, the site needs to leverage Microsoft's technology by adding those multimedia "bells and whistles" to differentiate itself from existing sports programming.