Fox Sports Scores with More Traffic, More Revenue

What do you do when Microsoft names you the exclusive provider of sports programming for the MSN portal? If you’re Fox Sports Interactive, you call your partner Akamai—fast. In the late 1990s, the FOX Sports Web site was launched as an extension of the broadcast station to provide scores and stats to Internet users. In 2001, the company realized the opportunity to generate business via its Web site and created the FOX Sports Interactive Media division to focus on delivering the ultimate online sports site. In May 2004, FoxSports.com announced an exclusive partnership with Microsoft that would create a significant opportunity to gain new users—and pose a significant challenge to the site’s existing infrastructure.

As a long-time Akamai customer, FOX Sports knew it could count on the Akamai solution to support an expected 7X increase in traffic. In reality, Akamai easily accommodated a 10X increase that has remained consistent since FoxSports.com on MSN was re-launched. The most remarkable part? Utilizing Akamai has meant an increase in hardware costs of just 25% in support of the launch. This high-performance site continues to meet the needs of hardcore sports fans with an impressive array of rich media including video footage and interactive tools that let fans get closer to their favorite teams. Free from worry about infrastructure capacity, the team at FoxSports.com can focus on strategies that encourage site visitors to stay on the site longer, and drive additional revenue—a winning game plan.