ESPN Bets Big on TikTok to Become ‘Home of Hockey’ for Gen Z Fans

Creative agency Fallon tapped to engage with fans and produce new ad spot

As part of ESPN’s strategy to establish ESPN and ESPN+ as the “home of hockey,” the company is tapping TikTok to target Gen Z viewers and hockey fans.

What's the deal?

Creative agency Fallon was tapped for the 2022-2023 National Hockey League season to engage with fans through TikTok, with a new ad spot and efforts to grow the sport as a whole.

"We hope to use TikTok to showcase the personalities and identities of the NHL stars in a way fans don’t normally see on the ice in order to increase player profiles in a relatable and engaging way,” said Lucas Ferraro, senior director of NHL marketing at ESPN. This is the second season ESPN will air NHL games (before 2021, the NHL had not been on ESPN since 2004).

As the NHL season kicks off, the creative will run on Disney’s owned and other paid linear and digital platforms, including “Monday Night Football” on ESPN. Looking beyond Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, ESPN will also heavily promote the NHL through TikTok this season.

The bottom line:

One year after launching the TikTok account, the NHL on ESPN TikTok has grown to nearly 400K followers. ESPN wants to become the one-stop shop to fans for all things hockey and establish itself as a pillar in hockey culture.

Read: Variety

Newsletter: 10/20/22 issue