Executive Voice: Disney Advertising Builds Two-Decade Partnership with ESPN’s “College GameDay Built by The Home Depot”

This fall marks The Home Depot’s 20th season as title sponsor of ESPN’s College GameDay – making it Disney Advertising’s longest-running sponsorship. Thanks to a solid foundation between both organizations and a mutual commitment to consistently engage fans in new ways, both GameDay and The Home Depot are synonymous with college sports and fall Saturdays.

Last weekend, analyst David Pollack and reporter Marty Smith appeared on GameDay’s season preview show from The Home Depot headquarters in Atlanta where the company held a special celebration for its employees. Disney Senior Vice President, Sports Brand Solutions, Sean Hanrahan recaps the event and discusses why the partnership with The Home Depot is so unique and special.

How rare is a partnership of this kind, and what is the secret to the longstanding relationship?
ESPN’s College GameDay has proven to be an authentic voice for college football fans, and that’s part of what attracts brands to this show. Having a relationship with a brand like The Home Depot that understands and fully recognizes that there is no place like ESPN, and they genuinely want to make things better for the show, their brand, and fans is what allows us to make magic.

GameDay continues to evolve and push boundaries which offers more opportunities for The Home Depot to get creative in its involvement. The Home Depot has been willing to try new things with us and see how we can continue to evolve together.
– Disney Senior Vice President, Sports Brand Solutions, Sean Hanrahan

How has The Home Depot partnership evolved through the years?
ESPN is in a leadership position when it comes to football, and College GameDay continues to solidify this as the No. 1 pre-game show on Saturday mornings in the fall. It continues to be successful, drive viewership and engage with fans in diverse ways. Our relationship with The Home Depot is the gold standard when it comes to sponsorships, and this is heavily attributed to the innovation of both brands.

GameDay continues to evolve and push boundaries which offers more opportunities for The Home Depot to get creative in its involvement. The Home Depot has been willing to try new things with us and see how we can continue to evolve together.

What’s your personal favorite College GameDay moment from the last 20 years?
The trip to Atlanta when Ed Erhardt [former President, ESPN Global Sales & Marketing], Rob Temple [former SVP, ESPN Sports Marketing] and I went to present the idea of sponsoring GameDay to Home Depot’s CMO John Costello.

The night before, I called Mark Gross, GameDay producer at the time, and asked if instead of saying GameDay Presented by The Home Depot could we say GameDay Built By The Home Depot. He readily agreed, and when that slide came up in the presentation, John turned to his team and said, “We need to do this.” The rest, as they say, is history.

How did College GameDay’s visit to The Home Depot headquarters in Atlanta go this past weekend?
This year’s Week 0 broadcast live from The Home Depot headquarters in Atlanta proved just how impactful this storied relationship has been for both companies over the course of the past 20 seasons. The Home Depot associates had the opportunity to partake in a true game day experience, and ESPN talent, crew, and staff were all extremely excited to be involved. It felt like a big family reunion.

Kristen Smith contributed to this post.