The above video, and more than 100 like it, appears at the official ESPN channel on YouTube, a channel that hardly anyone knows about right now but is undoubtedly going to be a huge step forward for sports content on the web.
Currently, the official ESPN YouTube channel is not getting any promotion from either ESPN or YouTube, and that's why no one is watching. The clip above, for instance, has less than 200 views in two days. But ESPN has big plans and thinks it's going to make big money with ads on its YouTube videos:
"This deal provides us with the opportunity to reach a broader online audience, to experiment with different monetization models and to extend the reach of our advertisers within branded environments that they most desire," said Anne Sweeney, co-chairwoman of Disney Media Networks.ESPN is probably restricted in which highlights it can put on YouTube -- I'm sure the NFL won't allow ESPN to post game highlights, for instance -- but the presence of the most popular sports network on the most popular online video site has to be considered a good thing for sports fans.
Thanks to Zach Arnold of FightOpinion.com for the tip.
