ESPN launches "Blog Buzz"

[Pat Coyle]

ESPN listening to blogosphere, putting stories on the air

I just got off the phone with Kathleen Hessert, President of Sports Media Challenge, the company behind Blog Buzz. She's got a million clients and even more great stories to tell. If you'd like to hear some of them, you should join us at our Team Digital Business Summit on May 28 in Chicago. Kathleen will deliver a keynote there. (Registration opens tomorrow. Watch this blog for details).

Here's what her blog has to say about Blog Buzz:

Sports Center is championing a new segment that identifies the daily top 5 sports topics in the blogosphere. Needless to say, this is a huge step for ESPN and the blogging world. They recognize the importance and power of the social media voice and have made moves to actually integrate the content into their biggest show. The new segment, Blog Buzz runs in the 9 o'clock live SportsCenter.

If you think about it, Blog Buzz is ahead of the game in the sports world. Nowhere else will you find a television feature on one of the largest sports shows that directly analyzes and lends credence to the voice of bloggers. ESPN then subsequently listens to the blogger's reaction to that feature and will respond to it on air.

Follow her blog here

Sports teams should track buzz too

All this makes us feel like we're on the right track at the Colts. We've been monitoring our fan forum for that past couple of years, mining it for marketing and football related hot topics being discussed by fans. I will admit that we never forwarded this info to our staff writer so that he could focus his efforts on topics fans care about. Simple but brilliant way to attract and engage more site visitors.

[Jonathan Dusing]

Do they say how they compile and rank the Buzz? Not all blogs are created equal.