ESPN teams up with MSN

September 6, 2001 8:55 PM

ESPN teams up with MSN First the Justice Department folds, and now this: “ESPN.com’s sports content will be uniquely integrated with MSN and will carry MSN branding and links throughout the ESPN.com site.” Is it really a surprise? Will it really make a difference?
posted by kirkaracha (5 comments total)

Ironically (at least Alanis Morrisette-ironically), the press release doesn’t have MSN branding.
posted by kirkaracha at 8:57 PM on September 6, 2001

Yeah, in fact the "page2" section of ESPN is a humor section, with irreverent commentary, so when I saw the link was part of the /page2/ area I thought it was a joke... but nope! It's real- although so far, there's no difference I can see besides the MSN butterfly and toolbar up top now.
posted by hincandenza at 10:12 PM on September 6, 2001

Give it a minute. They'll overhaul the look at some point to streamline it with the other products in the MSN Megaverse.

By the way, isn't MSN already hooked up with NBC? While ESPN is an ABC protectorate?

Might this indicate at all that there might be some kind of an MS-brokered merger between DisneyCapCitiesTimeWarnerABCetcetcetc and GENBCetcetcetc on the horizon somewheres?
posted by chicobangs at 10:39 PM on September 6, 2001

This seems to be the latest order of the day in portals. CNN dropped myCNN and uses Netscape. The theory is probably that it's cheaper than running your own service, and you can always switch horses midstream if somebody's VCs unplug the RJ-45s.
posted by dhartung at 11:36 PM on September 6, 2001

As long as they don't drop (or lose) Hunter Thompson.
posted by aflakete at 11:54 PM on September 6, 2001