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Microsoft Xbox Targets Young Men Through Games Sponsorship

At least one marketer is discovering a relatively new and potentially highly efficient way to reach young men, an elusive but highly sought market--extreme sports. Microsoft's Xbox 360 videogaming system, which goes on sale next month, has signed on as the official sponsor of the Collegiate Nationals, a competition in which colleges and universities will compete in snowboarding, kayaking, wakeboarding and beach volleyball events. The tournament will be televised by college sports cable channel CSTV next April. CSTV, which recently agreed to be acquired by CBS, is the latest outlet to cover extreme sports, a trend that started with ESPN's telecast of the X Games in 1995. For Microsoft's Xbox, the sponsorship represents a perfect opportunity to reach hardcore video game users--young men. "CSTV has an audience we like to reach," said Bill Nielsen, director for Xbox's U.S. subsidiary. Besides sponsoring the event, he said there will be a big push with retailers to build awareness for it as well. "It's difficult to get all the coverage you want through traditional advertising. It is important to take positions in the programming."

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