WEEI.com Unveils Complete Re-Design of Web Site

WEEI.com Unveils Complete Re-Design of Web Site

The nation’s top-rated sports radio station redefines the concept of “the sports page”

BOSTON (March 16, 2009) – WEEI.com today unveiled a complete re-design of the web site for the nation’s top-rated sports radio station. The re-design makes it significantly easier for visitors to consume the WEEI Sports Radio Network’s hyper-local content and access it from almost anywhere.

“Simply put, this is the ‘sports page’ of the future. There is no other place where fans and observers of the Boston-area sports scene can find this quality and quantity of unique audio, text and video content in one home,” said Tim Murphy, WEEI.com Vice President and General Manager. “Visitors can find our fresh, compelling content above the fold of the home page and can get anywhere they want to in no more than one to two clicks. Nobody has more Boston sports content that we do, and now it is even easier to navigate.”

The new WEEI.com has a vastly different look and feel than the previous site.  The centerpiece of the new WEEI.com is an eye-catching scrolling menu that showcases the top stories of the day. The site’s layout contains multiple tabbed widgets that allow users to access WEEI.com content through different prisms such as “most popular,” “shows” and “teams.” The five widgets on the homepage will give access to 40-50 pieces of hyper-local WEEI.com content every day. The new scoreboard at the top of the page gives users the option of viewing national scores from each sports league or strictly Boston scores from each sport. 

As part of a larger digital content distribution plan, WEEI.com allows today’s increasingly savvy web audience to consume WEEI content how and when it wants by leveraging Podcast, RSS and Widget Centers.  These tools allow consumers to access WEEI content in the formats they prefer.

WEEI content is also now available on mobile devices. Consumers can stream the station live on Blackberries or iPhones via a partnership between WEEI and Flycast.  There is also a mobile version of the WEEI.com website optimized for handheld devices, essentially making WEEI available “on the go” from anywhere in the world. 

“One of the most powerful trends shaping the web today is the notion of detaching and distributing content from a central location. Technology keeps coming at us, but for the first time, it is allowing people to consume content on their own terms.” stated Murphy.  “WEEI has responded to this trend, and it’s rewarding to see that so many consumers are accessing our content through these new forms of distribution.”

The new WEEI.com also provides advertisers with a visual medium to connect with audiences. Pre-roll video gives advertisers a 15-second video commercial prior to the beginning of audio clips. “By making rich media such a prominent part of the new site, we’re providing advertisers more ways to communicate their message than ever before,” said Murphy.

The launch of the new WEEI.com will be presented by Verizon FiOS.  Verizon will have ownership of all homepage ad units on Monday, March 16 and Tuesday, March 17.  Verizon will also "power" a newsletter that will be sent to promote the re-launch.  Throughout the remainder of the week, Verizon will maintain a consistent presence throughout the entire site and will be featured on internet radio.

The metamorphosis of the new WEEI.com began in August 2008 with the hiring of WEEI.com editor Rob Bradford, columnist Mike Felger and the web site’s first design upgrade. Over the ensuing months, WEEI.com has compiled a staff of top journalists with excellent national and local reputations.  In November, WEEI.com added a one-of-a-kind voice in former Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling and his well-established “38 Pitches” blog.  Since these additions WEEI.com experienced a 150% increase in Unique Visitors from February 2008 to February 2009.  User engagement jumped a staggering 579% over that same time period, with the average site visit at 21 minutes.  Also, WEEI.com has built a newsletter database of over 185,000 subscribers.

“It is extremely gratifying to see the evolution of WEEI.com. The site now mirrors the outstanding content that our shows produce each day and has helped extend our brand in a phenomenal way through a top notch team of writers and contributors,” said Jason Wolfe, Entercom Boston Vice President of AM Programming. “When you combine the work of our web staff, whose journalistic credibility matches that of any writer in town, with our on-air talent, you can’t find another media entity covering Boston sports that gives fans more access, insight and opinions than we do.”

In addition to the changes on the home page, each show on the WEEI Radio Network has received a makeover of its page formatted to match the personalities of the hosts. Each show’s content is also streamed online in real time and is available on-demand.  The customized show pages offer advertisers additional opportunities to reach audiences through audio and visual means.

For more information on the new site design and to check out Boston’s best sports content, log onto WEEI.com.

Entercom is one of the nation’s largest radio broadcasters with operations in San Francisco, Boston, Seattle, Denver, Sacramento, Cincinnati, Portland, Kansas City, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Austin, Norfolk, Buffalo, New Orleans, Providence, Memphis, Greensboro, Rochester, Greenville/Spartanburg, Madison, Wichita, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Springfield and Gainesville/Ocala.

Contacts:    Christian Megliola, Regan Communications – (Office) 617-488-2862, (Cell) 617-510-8190
        Sean Flanagan, Regan Communications – (Office) 617-488-2878, (Cell) 781-789-2736
        Kevin Flight, Regan Communications – (Office) 617-488-2863, (Cell) 781-439-7140