ESPN, Inc.

Kyle Goodenough, 2010

This January term I interned at ESPN in Times Square in New York City.  I worked in market research with the Consumer Insights group.  The group attempts to improve ESPN’s brand and product by introducing new ideas to the company based on consumer feedback.  They do large amounts of research in order to receive a variety of fan feedback.  Most of the feedback they receive comes through survey responses and focus groups the team attends.  While interning at ESPN I worked on a few different research projects.  The main project I worked on was a youth study.  This study focused on current trends in teen behavior and technology use.  This was particularly important to ESPN because the company is looking for a way to better connect to teens and to expand their fan base among this age group.  In order to increase viewership among teens they first need to gain a better understanding of this age group and my research project helped them to do so.  I worked on a few smaller projects while I was there as well which consisted of summarizing statements and statistics from a particular research study and finalizing a report for that study.  I also was able to attend a conflict group in which the participants debated the quality of the ESPN brand.

I felt that I performed well during the internship.  I arrived early every morning and left later than my supervisor expected me to.  Every time something was assigned to me I was sure to complete the task thoroughly and in a timely manner.  I was willing to do anything that was asked of me, from making copies to writing research reports.  My supervisor gave me a lot of positive feedback and made me feel very good about my performance, but the evaluation he filled out will tell the real truth!

While I enjoyed working with the research group, I don’t think I want to go into research as a career.  The aspect I did like about research; however, is that the work is always changing.  It seemed as though there were about four or five projects to complete at the same time and if I got bored I could always set one aside and work on a different project.  I did have a chance to talk to a few people in the marketing branch at ESPN and their work appeals to me much more than research.  I am attracted to the creativity that goes into marketing and find it to be a more compelling career option at this point than research.

Interning at ESPN was an unbelievable learning experience.  I was kept busy everyday and felt like I was always doing something new.  Everyone was welcoming and friendly from the moment I arrived and they were all eager to work with me.  They took me to meetings, out to lunch and even down to Philadelphia to watch a focus group!  They tried to fit in everything possible to make my experience the best it could be.  My boss, who was the Vice President of Consumer Insights, made a point of sitting down with me for at least an hour every week to discuss current projects and ESPN in general.  Even though he was so busy himself, he took the time out of his day to sit down with me.  My supervisor was amazing as well.  I worked very closely with him during the whole month and learned a great deal from working with him.  We worked on some projects together and he was happy to show me the ropes.  Overall, I had an unbelievable experience and wouldn’t trade it for anything!

Please contact the Career Services Office for more information on this internship.