Publicis Sports First to Activate with Disney Advertising
June 22, 2026 – NEW YORK, NY & CANNES, FRANCE – ESPN today announced ESPN Fan House, a new fan-centric engagement hub powered by Flowcode, designed to connect fans more deeply with ESPN’s coverage of college sports, brands and moments they love ahead of the 2026 college football season. Publicis Sports will be the first agency to pilot this new initiative with Disney Advertising.
The hub brings added interactivity to the fan experience, creating connected fan journeys that deepen affinity and unlock meaningful interactions across digital and live game environments. Fans may engage through features like live polls, trivia, sweepstakes, merchandise, and brand integrations — whether fans are at home, at on-site events, or engaging across social and digital platforms. The ESPN Fan House serves as a new frictionless entry point, giving fans a deeper connection to the broader ESPN ecosystem.
For advertisers, ESPN Fan House:
- Unlocks a new class of participation-based sponsorship, reaching fans who are actively engaged whether they are at the game, watching ESPN broadcasts or interacting across digital platforms
- Delivers exclusive offers and rewards directly to fans via digital wallet integration (where available), extending brand connection beyond the broadcast
- Enables sponsorship integrations built around fan interests and engagement, not just broad audiences
- Extends branded sponsorships from the fan hub into the ESPN app, creating opportunities for product discovery and deeper fan engagement around highlight moments
“As fans increasingly expect connected experiences, we're creating new ways to bring them closer to the moments they care about most," said Rita Ferro, President, Global Advertising, The Walt Disney Company. "The scale and frequency of college football creates an unmatched platform for sustained fan connections — each game week is a new opportunity to deepen that relationship. ESPN Fan House gives fans more ways to engage with ESPN while giving brands a direct connection to those moments."
“Live sports are among the very few things that remain AI-proof, and fans are craving deeper connections to the moments that matter,” said Suzy Deering, CEO, Publicis Sports. “Having a solution like ESPN Fan House helps brands reach fans in those moments and provides an opportunity for deeper engagement, impact and measurement. When combined with our extensive portfolio of solutions and insights from our unique fan graph, it enables us to better help our clients grow fan engagement and maximize their sports investments.”
“ESPN is the home of college football and serves the most passionate fan communities in the world," said Tim Armstrong, Co-Founder and CEO, Flowcode. “ESPN Fan House powered by Flowcode technology seamlessly connects the fan to the brand and the brand to the fan in a dynamic environment tied to the highest moments of fan engagement.”
This marks the first step in a broader vision to create connected fan experiences across ESPN properties and sports. ESPN Fan House is expected to launch this August with college football, open to media agencies and advertisers looking to deepen fan connections.
Last season, ESPN networks delivered their most-watched college football regular season since 2011, averaging 2.2 million viewers per game. ABC posted its best season since 2006, averaging 6.9 million viewers, and was the top broadcast network for college football across all media companies, while ESPN was the most-watched cable network in the sport. ESPN’s College GameDay Built by The Home Depot pregame show also had its most-watched season ever, averaging 2.7 million viewers, more than doubling the audience of its competition.
Media Contacts:
Disney Advertising
Katina Arnold | katina.arnold@disney.com
Kelly Liyakasa | kelly.s.liyakasa@disney.com
ESPN
Bill Hofheimer | bill.hofheimer@espn.com
John Manzo | john.manzo@espn.com