ESPN.com Changes Front Page

ESPN.com has changed the layout of their front page.  The layout looks more like the insides pages of the site now with the horizontal menu (something I’m considering for my heavy content sites).  The layout is now very similar to Sportsline and even major news sites like CNN.com.

Sportsline and TSN made layout changes over the summer.

ESPN’s new layout looks good.  It’s less cluttered and easier to read in my opinion.  I’m a little too tired to write up a big review, but I did just want to stop by and give a thumbs up.

I’m still not sure I’m going to visit it like I used to.  The auto-playing of commercials on some of the inside sections (like the NHL) is something I despise.  It’s not the video, although I’m not a fan of that either simply due to system resources and bandwidth - it’s the sound.  I can’t visit these pages in an office and it’s just an annoyance at home when it’s unexpected.  I have little doubt these ads pay a ton, but let me activate them on my own by actually wanting to watch videos that appear after the spot (a brief commercial beforehand is understood by me, I’m not an advertisement hater).  User initiated playing would be very nice.

Another thing to note: ESPN.com went with an RSS/XML button (it used to be just XML).  It’s orange and white and foreground/background flips for each abbreviation.  I’m still waiting for the first major site to use the feed icon that FireFox uses and IE will be adding.  They also have text RSS links above each news section on the front page.

Posted by David M Singer on Jan 19, 2006 at 01:28 AM

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  1. ESPN's Web change

    ESPN.com has changed its look, in case you didn't notice. David Singer noticed, and wrote up a pretty solid view of the changes - which he likes for the most part - but that doesn't mean he thinks the site...
    Tracked by: The Media Drop on Jan 20, 2006 at 12:36 PM

Comments:

  1. Jeez do I agree with you re: the annoying auto-play videos. If I can’t visit ESPN at work, when would I? Sort of hard to sneak a peek during the day if suddenly sports-releated videos start blaring.

    Posted by Seth Anderson on Jan 20, 2006 at 07:17 PM
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