In another deal that makes perfect sense, Disney's (NYSE:DIS) ESPN is hooking up with Cendant's (NYSE:CD) Orbitz to launch ESPN SportsTravel today. The new site allows ESPN.com users to research and book trips to sporting events all over the country, from next week's NCAA Final Four to May's Kentucky Derby and the French Open.
SportsTravel features area- and venue-specific content. More importantly, it gives fans the opportunity to square away travel packages online. That's good, because serious sports fans love to travel. You especially see it happen during collegiate bowl games. Even in the most hostile of venues, there always seems to be plenty of traveling rooters on hand to cheer for the away team.
OK, so maybe the new site shouldn't have been launched with a poll asking where folks would prefer to watch the Final Four. Travel-friendly selections like "In person" or "Las Vegas" were trounced by the more homebody "At home with friends" response, early on. Whoops. But that's fine. ESPN and Orbtiz no doubt realize that pitching expensive packages to sporting enthusiasts isn't going to resonate with everyone.
However, for those whom it does nab, it's going to be a winner for both companies. Travel portals such as Expedia (NASDAQ:EXPE), Priceline (NASDAQ:PCLN), and Sabre's (NYSE:TSG) Travelocity started out offering piecemeal bookings for things like airfare or hotel stays before airlines and hoteliers began reducing commissions and promoting their stand-alone direct-booking sites. That's why the portals have moved on to the more lucrative bookings that cover all of the bases with meatier commissions.
We launched a Travel Center at the Fool years ago, though maybe it's time we tie into big events like NYSE tours in Manhattan or Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE:BRKa) (NYSE:BRKb) meetings in Omaha, Neb. Anyone for a quick trip out to Alexandria, Va.? Wall Street fans like to travel, too!
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Longtime Fool contributor Rick Munarriz still relies on the portals to get basic travel information, but then he runs off to see whether better deals can be had directly through the provider. He does own shares in Disney. The Fool has a disclosure policy. He is also part of the Rule Breakers newsletter research team, seeking out tomorrow's ultimate growth stocks a day early.
