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The Challenge

ESPN, a leader in global sports broadcasting, is dedicated to ‘Serving sports fans. Anywhere. Anytime.’ Underpinning its operation are five citizenship pillars, which include Access to Sports and Leadership through Sports. As ESPN sought to expand its global footprint, there was a vital need to align its growth with its mission, enhancing community and employee engagement through an effective (ESG) strategy.

The Solution

In partnership with Think Beyond, ESPN conducted an extensive analysis of its key growth markets and business objectives, initially focusing on Latin America where there was a clear lack of access to safe spaces for play, limited sports programming in areas most in need, low levels of education, and communities that felt unable to lead the changes they desired.

This led to the development of a comprehensive strategy aimed at constructing long-lasting, safe sports spaces in underserved communities across ESPN’s key global growth markets. These spaces were designed to foster leadership skills among youth through high-quality sports programmes that encourage engagement, empowerment, and the development of life skills.

Following success in Latin America, spaces were created in Australia, India, and Nigeria – all key business markets for ESPN.

The construction of these spaces was a community effort, actively involving ESPN employees.

Return to Play Fund: Expanding its commitment to community development, ESPN, in partnership with Beyond Sport, engaged Think Beyond to support the establishment of the Return to Play Fund, focusing on creating safe spaces for Black and Brown youth across the US. The fund aimed to transform existing spaces and embed capacity-building activities in them – all done in partnership with the local community.

The Impact

With the expertise of Think Beyond and partners, ESPN successfully created safe spaces in more than 15 cities across 5 continents, including the refurbishment of seven sites across the US. It has benefitted over 25,000 young people and generated more than 6,500 volunteer hours, leaving a strong, lasting social legacy.

  • Community sustainability and ownership: Over 125 community events have been hosted in these new facilities, including seven significant projects in North America. All facilities have been robustly maintained by the community, with new revenue streams developed to ensure their sustainability.

  • Employability, training, and life skills: Tailored training programmes were developed, focusing on life skills and employability, adapting to the specific needs of each community.

  • By integrating community-focused projects with ESPN’s overarching business goals, we have been able to enhance community well-being and drive long-term corporate success.

  • ESPN’s audience growth and operational expansion: In Latin America, the initiatives contributed to a 40 percent year-over-year growth in viewership among Hispanic adults and a 45 percent increase in ESPN’s operating income.

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