• by David Goetzl , March 29, 2010

As Laura Gentile and fellow ESPN executives batted around ideas for pockets of expansion inside the sprawling company, there appeared to be an opportunity to target female athletes more extensively. High school sports would be an important part. So would athletes looking to stay involved after college as they segue into the next phase of their lives.

"Thinking about that as an untapped audience makes a lot of sense," she said.

The concept has roots in Gentile's previous role as a de facto chief of staff for ESPN president George Bodenheimer. In addition to any pressing operational duties, Gentile said there is time to gamble as a visionary, to decide where the company should place some of its chips next.

After extensive research and pitching to a gauntlet of top executives, a business plan that resulted in an espnW business unit -- the lower case "espn" is intentional -- got the go-ahead.

The vice president and assistant to the president's role in Bodenheimer's office that Gentile held is a rotating position. And now she's heading the "W" project that falls under the wide-reaching content group. Its role is evolving and perhaps still being clarified, but functioning as a nexus in the female space seems to be the goal.

Gentile noted that ESPN's on-air coverage of women's college sports has grown, and peaks this month with the NCAA basketball tournament. But she said, "A dedicated team as the real focus allows us to take it to the next level."

For now, the "W" group's work looks to be twofold. There's an immediate effort to offer a new perspective regarding scholastic girls under the ESPN Rise high school umbrella, while moving toward a separate espnW offering that hews within a sort of 22-to-34 demo.

"We're kind of this business unit within the company that's influencing businesses, where it makes sense, while also eventually launching a stand-alone brand," said Gentile, the espnW vice president and a former Duke field hockey player.

Prepping for its own product, ESPN recently acquired the espnW.com URL from an Oregon heating services company.

Recently, the eight-person "W" team has taken a lead role in producing Girl magazine within Rise, where its efforts will be on display with the spring edition. It has also been involved in developing the relaunched ESPNRise.com, which has been in beta form since March 15. And it is working on an unfolding mobile strategy and overseeing a Facebook page as it looks to emphasize social media.

"Men and women communicate in different ways and that's true across all ages," said Megan Hueter, who co-founded WomenTalkSports.com last year. "High school sports is something we're all trying to figure out. Social networking is a big component of that."

Hueter's site, which offers an extensive blog network with a slew of contributors, could be a potential acquisition target for the "W" business.

Under Gentile, who has an MBA from Boston College and experience in marketing at ESPN, the "W" team has four people focusing on content -- one each overseeing online and magazines, and two looking into social networking and mobile initiatives. There are two people concentrating on sales opportunities.

Gentile said the company has data showing that high school athletes on average send thousands of text messages a month, providing a business opportunity if her group can carefully integrate itself there.

More actionable research may be that the "W" team has determined perhaps as much as 70% of the Rise multiplatform offerings are geared toward boys.

"There's this really huge marketplace," she said. "High school female athletes just don't get the same level of support, recognition and resources."

"Nobody's done this right yet, and they have a real opportunity," said Nicole LaVoi, associate director at the University of Minnesota's Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sports.

Female sports receiving focus on the revamped ESPNRise.com include basketball, softball, soccer and lacrosse.

Upgraded content might include training and conditioning tips, information on how to get recruited and advice from potential role models -- which ESPN has access to through its run of on-air commentators. Gentile hinted that a more coordinated, prominent high school offering would roll out before the new school year in August.

WomenTalkSports.com's Hueter noted that her site's "most popular posts to date are the ones that talk about cultural issues that female athletes face." A recent flurry of posts commenting on Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn's pose on the cover of Sports Illustrated shut down the site.

University of Minnesota researcher LaVoi suggested the "W" team find a way to make female content on the ESPN.com mega-sphere more accessible and conspicuous -- whether through an espnW.com or not. "You really have to drill down to find it, even the women's basketball home page" she said.

What may be more intriguing going forward is how an espnW microsite or brand would target an athlete after college, one still playing in rec leagues or an exercise enthusiast. The 22-to-34 female demo seems to offer some blank space in sports content.

"I think there's a strong commitment to really increase the amount of women's sports that they're involved in," said sports consultant Lee Berke. "Ultimately, they're probably going to try to come up with an ESPN for every demographic."