According to conservative estimates, more than half of adult Americans consider themselves sports fans, with 52% of fans following the NFL, 42% following the NBA, and 31% following the MLB.
Since so many Americans are sports enthusiasts, sports publishers are inherently extremely popular online destinations. From news and statistics to videos, interviews, and analysis, sports publishers engage visitors with high-quality content about all types of sports including football, golf, tennis, soccer, and more.
Like other verticals, sports publishers often focus their website strategies on engagement, brand loyalty, and user experience so fans keep coming back. Accurate, real-time stats, premium video content, website layout, and solid editorial are all crucial to the fan experience. Additionally, video advertising is leveraged to drive additional engagement and revenue for the publisher while complementing display advertising.
EX.CO recently partnered with a leading sports publisher that was interested in driving both engagement without compromising UX— our specialty. Here’s a quick recap of how it went.
What was the goal?
This renowned sports publisher aimed to double their video views across desktop and mobile before one of the biggest golf tournaments in the world–the Masters.
What were the challenges?
To double video views before the upcoming Masters, the sports publisher had to move quickly. They turned to EX.CO because we offer publishers the flexibility to add their own demand sources and direct deals. Our self-serve platform hands the steering wheel back to publishers so they have total control over their monetization efforts.
The sports publisher wanted to make sure that the user experience was not hindered in any way for its audience. They needed a technology partner that was willing and able to work closely with them to ensure their website and its content was fully protected.
How did EX.CO solve the issue?
EX.CO invested time and resources into establishing a robust and fiercely competitive platform for managing a publisher’s own demand. EX.CO then ran the customer's mix of programmatic open marketplace and direct sold campaigns on VAST tags.
The publisher's Monetization Team adopted EX.CO's sticky units on mobile which allowed them to increase both viewability and engagement, and dramatically boost revenue. Additionally, the publisher's Editorial Team incorporated MRSS video teasers which exposed the day's trending videos and increased page views via recirculation, revenue, and subscription growth.
What were the results?
The sports publisher generated approximately $1M+ in revenue in less than two months by utilizing EX.CO’s video player and monetization capabilities, including the MRSS video teasers. EX.CO’s sticky units earned the publisher 93% viewability, and the addition of the publisher’s own demand garnered them 2-3x more revenue. This ultimately allowed the publisher to sell even more ads.
Most importantly, the publisher doubled video views which was their original goal when they set forth with EX.CO. These additional views drove more engagement with site visitors and ultimately increased revenue.
Want to learn how EX.CO can help you drive engagement and revenue without sacrificing UX? Drop your details below.