• by Paul Gough , December 2, 2002

The day following America’s most watched sporting event, Fox Sports Net will premiere a new show that highlights the up and coming world of action sports.

54321 will begin its 5 p.m. daily run Monday, Jan. 27. The half-hour program will feature news and features of action sports like skateboarding, snowboarding, BMX, volleyball and surfing. With a high pedigree – executive producer Gary Considine runs The Tonight Show – and higher expectations, Fox Sports Net hopes 54321 launches spectacularly not only in the sporting world but the advertising industry.

It’s another program in the Fox Sports Lineup – which also includes The Best Damn Sports Show Period – that follows Fox Sports President Tracy Dolgin’s goal of mixing content and advertising in a form the network calls immersion.

Fox Sports advertising chief Guy Sousa says immersion is the next step in advertising: Integrating products into the programming so well that it feels organic and belongs there.

“It’s no longer product placement,” says Sousa.

“We feel that there is the videogame generation, if you will, that is out there, participating in sports, in a much different way that has been done with traditional bats and balls. These kids are very, very active,” says Sousa.

And it’s an audience – 12 to 34 -- that sometimes proves elusive to advertisers. 54321’s nontraditional approach is one reason why the channel partnered with Quicksilver, so that it’s clear 54321 is more than just a regular commercially produced show. Fox is working with producers who work with the 12-24 audience every day and know how to reach them, he says.

Count on product integration that fits well with the program, Sousa says. An automotive sponsor, for instance, might supply the vehicle that the reporter drives to an action sports event and could play a prominent role in the piece. Visual and musical clues could show pieces of the car so that without ever seeing the car’s logo the audience will know what kind of car it is.

“The car would be featured as part of being involved in the coverage that has much to do with the event and getting to the event. It would be immersed into the program,” Sousa says.

“We’re now developing relationships with advertisers in these categories so that their relationships are natural,” Sousa says.

Fox Sports Net is selling packages that include traditional 30-second commercials and the immersion of products. Some advertisers may sponsor segments; those details haven’t been worked out. Deals with a video game company and another advertiser could be announced soon.

Product categories include beverages, video games, apparel, sneakers and automotive.

“We’re talking strategically to all of those people,” Sousa says.

It’s not the first time Fox Sports Net has worked in the burgeoning field of immersion. X-Box has been running spots within The Best Damn Sports Show Period for more than a year; Dockers stain-free pants’ spokesman became part of a celebrity roast at the end of June.