ESPN launches digital stores for sports products across its websites

ESPN has announced the launch of digital shops across its ESPNcricinfo.com and ESPN.com.au sites.

The online stores, developed in collaboration with Velocity Brand Management's retail division (VBM Retail), will provide global cricket fans and sports fans in Australia and New Zealand with a wide range of licensed and fan-specific merchandise along with branded and co-branded products.

Fans can access the shops through a "Shop" tab and button, available in the navigation of each of the ESPN site homepages and additional digital shops will debut across other ESPN digital properties globally in 2014, including ESPN Scrum and ESPN Footytips.

The ESPNcricinfo.com shop, available on Shop.ESPNcricinfo.com and ESPNcricinfoshop.com, features a full range of cricket products including apparel, accessories, novelties, equipment and memorabilia. Additionally, the shop will offer a wide array of licensed team merchandises along with ESPNcricinfo branded and co-branded products. The shop is set to offer Indian fans across the cricket-loving nation an opportunity to purchase and collect cricket items for use, for personal memorial value or as investment. In addition to an extensive collection of sports-related and fan-specific merchandise available to consumers in Australia and New Zealand, Shop.espn.com.au and ESPNShop.com.au, offers league licensed products from the AFL, NRL, Cricket Australia, V8 Supercars, rugby union, football, netball and the NBA. It will expand to include items from the NFL, NHL, NCAA college sports and ESPN Licensed products.

VBM Retail, which will run the ESPN digital shop sites, is developing branded and co-branded licensed product collections utilizing ESPN logos and drawing inspiration from brand personality and sport-specific cultural elements for each of the online stores.