their product is complete shit. there's times i wanna throw on sportscenter in the morning (mostly from force of habit) and it's just so unwatchable.
a merry roundtable of douchebags that have morning talk show chit chat trying desperately for a cheap safe laugh to appeal to who? i have not a fucking clue.
there's about 12 seconds of highlights for every 10 minutes of the pointless banter. but that seems to be all the network is now anyway.
the morning sportscenter in the 90's used to be must-see tv for me and i'm sure most sports fans.
If rights fees go down, salaries will have to follow.
Labor peace has been made possible by the ever increasing revenue streams that fatten everyone's wallet. If the gravytrain's over, big labor fights are in the offing.
was in college in the early 90s. I was never really exposed to it prior to 1990, as I didn't have cable. So, initially, I only knew ESPN for Sports Center, but with no volume because I would see it on in a bar. That was heaven.
Then, I finally heard a broadcast and it lost some magic. I don't want schtick or some wannabe comedian, or some wannabe talk show host. I want sports. I always found ESPN to be a bit of a joke, even then. Dan Patrick and Olberman irked me to no end and I never cared for Berman. He was a clown then, who thought the broadcast was about him. Guess what, I'm tuning in to see the highlights and scores, not to hear your stupid nicknames and schtick. Now, he is even worse because he has become a caricature of himself.
Even the one thing ESPN used to have a monopoly on, the draft, has become a shitshow. And, expanding the draft to accommodate ESPN coverage was a terrible decision because of it.
If rights fees go down, salaries will have to follow.
Labor peace has been made possible by the ever increasing revenue streams that fatten everyone's wallet. If the gravytrain's over, big labor fights are in the offing.
I don't think so. If rights fees go down, the leagues will have to pay ESPN less for coverage.
I suspect that the product will only get worse, because instead of trying to improve the product, they will try to maintain their income by cutting even more corners and provide a cheaper and less appealing product.
I suspect that they are sandwiched between having long-term contractual obligations to the NFL, MLB, etc. (costs), and the need to show quarterly earnings for their own stockholders. I see that as their problem--THEIR PROBLEM, not mine. Let them fail and be replaced by people with more imagination.
Okay, I'm a cynical bastard. I admit it.
RE: I don't worry about the income of millionaires Â
I suspect that the product will only get worse, because instead of trying to improve the product, they will try to maintain their income by cutting even more corners and provide a cheaper and less appealing product.
I suspect that they are sandwiched between having long-term contractual obligations to the NFL, MLB, etc. (costs), and the need to show quarterly earnings for their own stockholders. I see that as their problem--THEIR PROBLEM, not mine. Let them fail and be replaced by people with more imagination.
Okay, I'm a cynical bastard. I admit it.
The product was better when it was "cheaper" and they just played highlights. I'm a sophisticated sports viewer who just wants a curated highlight feed; I get my "analysis" from more reputable sources.
I loved ESPN from around 1992 when I started watching TV until 2005ish when I got out of high school. Once all that Stephen A Smith and Skip Bayless shit came around I just it tuned out completely. I started watching more NFL Network instead, until that started to fall down the same hill. My God, how can cable channels who make so much money produce such shitty shows? I'd never thought I'd see the day where I couldn't stand Shaun O'Hara. A buddy of mine who I was good friends with in school and would just smoke pot and watch Sports Center all day. Riveting.
I can't remember the last time I watched sports center or purposely watched ESPN. Maybe after Super Bowl 46 to see everyone sucking Eli's ass after they were bashing him constantly? I also hate, HATE HATE their Monday Night Football pregame show. They all suck but those are THE worst. who gives a fuck what trent Dilfer and Suzy Kolber has to say? Ditka is annoying and repetitive. One last weird thing I couldn't stand was when they did Sports Center (and maybe it was around the time I stopped watching) with those bright neon purple and pink light sets. Holy shit that gave me a migraine.
and they built a network and programming schedule for insiders and to create some sort of social relevancy.
They ignored what the customers wanted in the process of making themselves feel good about Bruce Jenner and Michael Sam.
Bruce is a human freakshow paraded around as "brave" and Michael Sam was just a guy that played football and was along shot at making a team.
They need to get back to scores and games and get away from the social commentary from millionaires riding in limos.
I'd rather watch a test pattern and listen to a game on the radio than watch their coverage.
ESPN to show their coverage? Because the biggest issue seems that ESPN is locked into deals with the sports leagues that do not account for the drop in subscribers not only for ESPN but for cable subscriptions as a whole.
I know DirectTV probably has a contract with the NFL to show all of their games in a package, but when these TV contracts end is the NFL better off offering their own streaming package like the NBA does with league pass?
When it comes to renegotiating new deals with the league I'd find it hard to believe ESPN would still be paying $7B a year on rights at the rate they are losing subscribers, assuming the leagues do rely on ESPN to broadcast their content.
I don't understand how/why they are losing millions of Â
Some % of that is people who are outright cutting cable subscriptions. But espn is clearly losing more than the other sports networks. NFL ratings are down in general but there are probably plenty more who are fine with just watching Sunday football on basic channels then spend the extra for Monday night.
RE: I don't understand how/why they are losing millions of Â
As with the NFL, there are bigger socio-political issues driving this that many simply don't want to recognize.
Agreed. People are tired of the social issues and sport isn't the end all be all for every fan. My consumption has been cut down massively for many reasons, if that's possible for me that's possible for anyone.
as they are not the reason that ESPN has become a shit show. ESPN had the sports fan locked in forever. Then to grow they viewership they started trying to hard on the "entertainment" aspect to pander to the non sports fan or at least the casual sports fan. By doing that they alienated actual sports fans with all there nonsense BS.
As i said the leagues will be fine. I would not be surprised to see companies like Google, Amazon, etc.. start to gobble them up as current contracts expire. Which would honestly probably be great for sports fans.
Not sure if it was national or not, but it gave ESPN a run for its money in the early 90's with DC area fans. We all preferred it to ESPN. And that was before ESPN became the monster it is today.
I, like many, grew up with the first ESPN. It wass new, highlights every hour, games we could never have seen before. It was heaven.
Now we are all older. Most of us do not put ESPN ahead of life like we might have in our 20s. At the same time ESPN decided to go hip years ago and totally abandon the group that made it. Cross promoting horrible movies, seemingly non-stop rap and hip-hop promotions, talk shows that insult the viewers, etc, etc.
And the guys who are now the age we were when we got hooked are far less hooked to sports and TV than we were.
ESPN ignored the initial core viewer - understandably in many ways - but went too far and they underestimated that the new generation would actually watch less.
But what sociopolitical issues are you talking about ?
Is it the fact that ESPN does not just concentrate on sports news and highlights ... but tries to be politically correct as well ?
I guess that I am a little lost at exactly what you mean (without trying to bring politics into this).
Pretty sure that's what Eric meant, and I can see that rubbing some folks the wrong way.
IMO, their coverage has been poor for some time. They're constantly trying to manufacture interest through poor behavior, whether it's screaming analysts or focus on social commentary. Very little pure sports coverage, which is the only time I actually watch ESPN.
Then you get into what these guys are making per viewer, which is just unsustainable. This had been a focal point of discussion sometime back, when the broadcast networks were renegotiating their access fees and having a hard time doing so. Once it became common knowledge that all of the viewing public was paying high fees to watch a sports network, between the cord cutting and the pressure on the cable industry to reduce costs it was only a matter of time. Grandma doesn't want or need to pay ten bucks a month to ESPN.
has tried to expand it's reach through alternative programming and entertainment as Italianju pointed out.
I understand it. With the internet being in everyone's hands, just showing highlights doesn't cut it anymore, but if they had stuck to Sportscenter and expanded their reach to other sports, I think they could've had a better model.
You know what programming they have that draws pretty good audiences? The coverage of the WSOP (poker) and the Scripps Spelling Bee. Instead of focusing coverage on MORE sports or contests, they moved away from that to pseudo news crap and way too many analyst shows.
Remember in the early days when they would show Australian Rules Football? They never kept going with that model. Instead of putting fringe sports on the radar and maybe expanding the reach of things like ultimate Frisbee or rugby or things like ski jumping in the winter, they went away from that type of programming. When they have focused on lesser sports, they've been successful. The X games draws decent ratings and their coverage of college lacrosse has brought in viewers. They needed to expand that.
It gets made fun of, but if perhaps the Ocho showed the Dodgeball finals, it might be more entertaining than listening to two schmucks like Bayless and Smith.
I don't think ESPN is neccessarily stupid. They aren't cutting down on highlights ignorantly. If I want to watch highlights I can go to NFL.com or YouTube and watch whatever highlights I want to. They have been trying to hit on the entertainment aspect because they can't compete with free online content.
But what sociopolitical issues are you talking about ?
Is it the fact that ESPN does not just concentrate on sports news and highlights ... but tries to be politically correct as well ?
I guess that I am a little lost at exactly what you mean (without trying to bring politics into this).
I can't go into too much detail here, but...
(1) Corporate media has been exposed and people are literally cutting the cord with cable. ESPN is getting caught up in that.
(2) To a certain extent, ESPN is getting caught up the politicization of football and the rejection of that. There are boycott the NFL efforts (as well as other boycott efforts currently ongoing).
(3) ESPN is owned by Walt Disney which has a very obvious political bias and has not been shy in pushing that agenda.
(4) We're in the middle of one of the most significant political revolutions in American history. Sports seems more trivial right now.
somebody said, a lot of the original base for ESPN is getting older. They apparently aren't doing a good job attracting younger people.
A lot of people also don't want sports, and never did. Cable companies like FiOS now offer subscribers sports free packages. A lot of sports can also now be watched online. People also have a lot more viewing choices, both on and off line.
Work has also changed. By 2020, as much as 40% of the country may be self employed. The "gig" economy is real. More people are working odd hours that may make it harder for them to watch sports.
ESPN paid exorbitant rights fees based on the belief that most of the country loves to watch sports. That belief was apparently wrong. Absent major changes, it doesn't look like their business model is sustainable.
to the socio-political climate seems specious at best since ESPN has been losing viewers steadily since 2015, and the speed of losing viewers has increased as the options of alternate streaming have increased.
Not saying there can't bee a loose tie to it, but to point to factors like Disney or a "political revolution" is going quite a bit overboard.
But what sociopolitical issues are you talking about ?
Is it the fact that ESPN does not just concentrate on sports news and highlights ... but tries to be politically correct as well ?
I guess that I am a little lost at exactly what you mean (without trying to bring politics into this).
I can't go into too much detail here, but...
(1) Corporate media has been exposed and people are literally cutting the cord with cable. ESPN is getting caught up in that.
(2) To a certain extent, ESPN is getting caught up the politicization of football and the rejection of that. There are boycott the NFL efforts (as well as other boycott efforts currently ongoing).
(3) ESPN is owned by Walt Disney which has a very obvious political bias and has not been shy in pushing that agenda.
(4) We're in the middle of one of the most significant political revolutions in American history. Sports seems more trivial right now.
Agree with all of this. Saturation is another problem. There is just too much sports on TV. Most activities start to lose their speciality the more available they become.
But what sociopolitical issues are you talking about ?
Is it the fact that ESPN does not just concentrate on sports news and highlights ... but tries to be politically correct as well ?
I guess that I am a little lost at exactly what you mean (without trying to bring politics into this).
I can't go into too much detail here, but...
(1) Corporate media has been exposed and people are literally cutting the cord with cable. ESPN is getting caught up in that.
(2) To a certain extent, ESPN is getting caught up the politicization of football and the rejection of that. There are boycott the NFL efforts (as well as other boycott efforts currently ongoing).
(3) ESPN is owned by Walt Disney which has a very obvious political bias and has not been shy in pushing that agenda.
(4) We're in the middle of one of the most significant political revolutions in American history. Sports seems more trivial right now.
I might have missed something - what's Disney's political bias?
there is a disconnect between those of the sportswriters and those of the fans. Sports-as-life journalists, like Costas and Albom and others, abound, and ESPN wants to be cutting edge with the Whitlocks and the trendy storylines (eg Jenner), but plenty of sports fans, including those who are broadly sympathetic to particular concerns but especially those whose views are different, tune in to Sportscenter for highlights and sports news. They can and do get their news and commentary elsewhere.
but I'll disagree a little with Eric's point here...
Quote:
(4) We're in the middle of one of the most significant political revolutions in American history. Sports seems more trivial right now.
This reads like a talking point on ESPN. Many people rush to sports in stressful times. The ability to escape reality for a few hours can be very important.
Now if you're saying the politicization of sports and the showing of non-sports issues is turning off a percentage of viewers, sure, I could see this. I don't, however, think the drop in NFL ratings has anything to do with ESPN and it's parent company, or the political climate.
We all know baseball had improved ratings this last postseason, and a quick google search shows NBA ratings are doing fine. The NFL ratings are the fault of the NFL...not the political climate.
while getting ready for work in the morning. Not any more. The only time I watch is to see a football game on Monday night and that's rare for me.
It isn't that they have a bunch of analysts. They just have a bunch of crap. PTI, Around the Horn and those type of shows where people argue over the same issues is boring as hell. They come up with opinions from so-called experts and label it, six pack of facts. Facts? Get out of here.
Have you ever listened to ESPN Radio? Same baloney. They have a guy like Cowherd come on and scream for three hours about things, then another talker comes on and screams about the same things, then another. Ever since I got satellite radio in my car I haven't listened to ESPN once.
Eric, I think your socio-political points have some validity BUT: Â
the even bigger issue is that ESPN's product STINKS. As does NFLN, FOX-FS1 and NBCSN, all of whom have copied the ESPN playbook as others have pointed out. It's all snarky attitude bullshit, countdown/Top 10 shows with has been or never were "reporters" making moronic comments, screaming clowns like Chris Berman and know nothing female "reporters" who are wearing nothing more than the bare minimum to cover their "privates" and would probably have been playboy bunnies a generation ago. There is absolutely no value in it. The only reason I have it is because it would be more expensive for me to drop it and keep YES, SNY and MSG separately
I don't see the force of Eric's point, even as I think what he sees is Â
probably right. But I will note that it is common place for sports journalists like Peter King to inject politics into what they do. Even when he does it in somewhat benign ways, a distinct millennial(?) sort of political sensibility permeates SI. Why they would do this on a sports site of all things is lost to me. Carson once said that he didn't get political because he'd lose half his audience.
To me it has more to do with Cable bundling itself as a doomed way to package media.
believes or is saying that its the main factor, he's simply saying its part of the problem. Its one of the many problems with mainstream sports and its coverage.
The under 30 crowd and especially the under 25 crowd are huge into cord cutting from my personal experience.
I save $65 a month and can get all the programs I want currently for free. The internet long ago changed the perception of generations younger than me as to what they are willing to pay for. Pretty much any content should be free is the viewpoint. No one feels guilty about getting content for free. No provider or creator of content can keep up with people finding ways to provide it to others for free.
The above has nothing to do with the perceived Disney/Kaitlyn Jenner new world order cabal or the new revolution of the "masses".
RE: I don't see the force of Eric's point, even as I think what he sees is Â
probably right. But I will note that it is common place for sports journalists like Peter King to inject politics into what they do. Even when he does it in somewhat benign ways, a distinct millennial(?) sort of political sensibility permeates SI. Why they would do this on a sports site of all things is lost to me. Carson once said that he didn't get political because he'd lose half his audience.
Agree, and honestly, I rarely read King's column anymore.
To me it has more to do with Cable bundling itself as a doomed way to package media.
The same applies to all cable delivered content. Â
Politics has nothing to do with it. Technology is creating lower cost options. This is no different than people dropping land lines for cell phones or overnight shipping for email.
I think some here are looking WAY too much into the reasons. Â
The simple fact the channel SUCK’s is the main reason not political reasons. I have avoided that station for years with the exception of Monday night football, and even that is damn near close to unwatchable.
Gruden needs to go back to coaching or something but his time has come and gone as a play by play. The network continues to run commercials and miss live game play action. All of the talking heads they have are Look at me shock jocks. The channel brings nothing to the viewer of value other than a sports ticker that you can find on the internet.
ESPN decided that it was an entertainment business instead of a sports network. When they made that brand/marketing decision it went the way of Hollywood. It made politics and PC into its roadmap. So the average Joe was put through their views and opinions first and actual sports became second. Similar to most entertainers they had a captive audience and want to put forth their PC views. I'm a New York sports fan so I am stuck being out of market and having to use Direct TV sports packaging for the Giants and Yankee's which includes ESPN.
The under 30 crowd and especially the under 25 crowd are huge into cord cutting from my personal experience.
I save $65 a month and can get all the programs I want currently for free. The internet long ago changed the perception of generations younger than me as to what they are willing to pay for. Pretty much any content should be free is the viewpoint. No one feels guilty about getting content for free. No provider or creator of content can keep up with people finding ways to provide it to others for free.
The above has nothing to do with the perceived Disney/Kaitlyn Jenner new world order cabal or the new revolution of the "masses".
Its certainly true in part, but definitely not an absolute. Many people that are 25 are still living at home, so what about them? Some reports say we are reaching a record high of young adults staying home longer due to rising costs with everything and less employment opportunity for them to live on their own.
Cord cutting is definitely the top factor but it definitely is not the sole factor. People are tired of the bullshit and there's other stuff to do that doesn't impose an agenda on them. TV/Movie content has never been better as well. I fit the social issues into this bucket because there's enough content elsewhere where suffering through what sports crams down our throats is no longer necessary.
I wonder about the future of sports programming... Â
I know a lot of people learn to love sports by how it is modeled by their parents. Many of us grew up desperate for news on our team. We never missed a Sunday recap show, and we always read the sports section of the paper. I remember reading through all the box scores, trying to get insights into games. Those behaviors were modeled for me.
I am not modeling those behaviors for my sons. They see me watch the game, read BBI, watch highlights and interviews on Giants.com, then during the game rewatch the game and others using Gamepass. They're doing the same thing.
If I want to know what happened to the Eagles, Cowboys, or Redskins I watch it on Gamepass.
Although I subscribe to ESPN because I'm a DirecTV customer, I don't watch it or any other sports shows. Live programming. Discussion boards. Exclusive interviews and behind the scenes coverage from the teams websites.
This is the behavior that I'm modeling, and my sons who are barely into their 20's will only remember this behavior.
and bullshit doesn't just mean Kaepernick or LeBron Â
at a political rally. Its reporting news in the form of tweets, its hiring polarizing loud mouth ex-star players instead of intelligent lesser known players who can break down X's and O's, its making guys like Skip Bayless into its most recognizable network personality, and its talking non-stop about racial issues with Stephen A Smith, Mike Smith, Curt Schilling, etc.
a merry roundtable of douchebags that have morning talk show chit chat trying desperately for a cheap safe laugh to appeal to who? i have not a fucking clue.
there's about 12 seconds of highlights for every 10 minutes of the pointless banter. but that seems to be all the network is now anyway.
the morning sportscenter in the 90's used to be must-see tv for me and i'm sure most sports fans.
Labor peace has been made possible by the ever increasing revenue streams that fatten everyone's wallet. If the gravytrain's over, big labor fights are in the offing.
Then, I finally heard a broadcast and it lost some magic. I don't want schtick or some wannabe comedian, or some wannabe talk show host. I want sports. I always found ESPN to be a bit of a joke, even then. Dan Patrick and Olberman irked me to no end and I never cared for Berman. He was a clown then, who thought the broadcast was about him. Guess what, I'm tuning in to see the highlights and scores, not to hear your stupid nicknames and schtick. Now, he is even worse because he has become a caricature of himself.
Even the one thing ESPN used to have a monopoly on, the draft, has become a shitshow. And, expanding the draft to accommodate ESPN coverage was a terrible decision because of it.
It's complete shit now.
Labor peace has been made possible by the ever increasing revenue streams that fatten everyone's wallet. If the gravytrain's over, big labor fights are in the offing.
Not sure how they will be able to be half what they were at best.
Fs1 doesn't help them either.
The content has gotten worse, and everyone can get a 24/7 sports fix with the swipe of a finger.
Bad times for ESPN. If it weren't for the NFL and NBA contracts they have, don't know what they would do.
I suspect that the product will only get worse, because instead of trying to improve the product, they will try to maintain their income by cutting even more corners and provide a cheaper and less appealing product.
I suspect that they are sandwiched between having long-term contractual obligations to the NFL, MLB, etc. (costs), and the need to show quarterly earnings for their own stockholders. I see that as their problem--THEIR PROBLEM, not mine. Let them fail and be replaced by people with more imagination.
Okay, I'm a cynical bastard. I admit it.
I suspect that the product will only get worse, because instead of trying to improve the product, they will try to maintain their income by cutting even more corners and provide a cheaper and less appealing product.
I suspect that they are sandwiched between having long-term contractual obligations to the NFL, MLB, etc. (costs), and the need to show quarterly earnings for their own stockholders. I see that as their problem--THEIR PROBLEM, not mine. Let them fail and be replaced by people with more imagination.
Okay, I'm a cynical bastard. I admit it.
The product was better when it was "cheaper" and they just played highlights. I'm a sophisticated sports viewer who just wants a curated highlight feed; I get my "analysis" from more reputable sources.
I can't remember the last time I watched sports center or purposely watched ESPN. Maybe after Super Bowl 46 to see everyone sucking Eli's ass after they were bashing him constantly? I also hate, HATE HATE their Monday Night Football pregame show. They all suck but those are THE worst. who gives a fuck what trent Dilfer and Suzy Kolber has to say? Ditka is annoying and repetitive. One last weird thing I couldn't stand was when they did Sports Center (and maybe it was around the time I stopped watching) with those bright neon purple and pink light sets. Holy shit that gave me a migraine.
They ignored what the customers wanted in the process of making themselves feel good about Bruce Jenner and Michael Sam.
Bruce is a human freakshow paraded around as "brave" and Michael Sam was just a guy that played football and was along shot at making a team.
They need to get back to scores and games and get away from the social commentary from millionaires riding in limos.
I'd rather watch a test pattern and listen to a game on the radio than watch their coverage.
I know DirectTV probably has a contract with the NFL to show all of their games in a package, but when these TV contracts end is the NFL better off offering their own streaming package like the NBA does with league pass?
When it comes to renegotiating new deals with the league I'd find it hard to believe ESPN would still be paying $7B a year on rights at the rate they are losing subscribers, assuming the leagues do rely on ESPN to broadcast their content.
Some % of that is people who are outright cutting cable subscriptions. But espn is clearly losing more than the other sports networks. NFL ratings are down in general but there are probably plenty more who are fine with just watching Sunday football on basic channels then spend the extra for Monday night.
As with the NFL, there are bigger socio-political issues driving this that many simply don't want to recognize.
Quote:
subscribers. What are these people doing?
As with the NFL, there are bigger socio-political issues driving this that many simply don't want to recognize.
Agreed. People are tired of the social issues and sport isn't the end all be all for every fan. My consumption has been cut down massively for many reasons, if that's possible for me that's possible for anyone.
As i said the leagues will be fine. I would not be surprised to see companies like Google, Amazon, etc.. start to gobble them up as current contracts expire. Which would honestly probably be great for sports fans.
Is it the fact that ESPN does not just concentrate on sports news and highlights ... but tries to be politically correct as well ?
I guess that I am a little lost at exactly what you mean (without trying to bring politics into this).
Now we are all older. Most of us do not put ESPN ahead of life like we might have in our 20s. At the same time ESPN decided to go hip years ago and totally abandon the group that made it. Cross promoting horrible movies, seemingly non-stop rap and hip-hop promotions, talk shows that insult the viewers, etc, etc.
And the guys who are now the age we were when we got hooked are far less hooked to sports and TV than we were.
ESPN ignored the initial core viewer - understandably in many ways - but went too far and they underestimated that the new generation would actually watch less.
Is it the fact that ESPN does not just concentrate on sports news and highlights ... but tries to be politically correct as well ?
I guess that I am a little lost at exactly what you mean (without trying to bring politics into this).
Pretty sure that's what Eric meant, and I can see that rubbing some folks the wrong way.
IMO, their coverage has been poor for some time. They're constantly trying to manufacture interest through poor behavior, whether it's screaming analysts or focus on social commentary. Very little pure sports coverage, which is the only time I actually watch ESPN.
Then you get into what these guys are making per viewer, which is just unsustainable. This had been a focal point of discussion sometime back, when the broadcast networks were renegotiating their access fees and having a hard time doing so. Once it became common knowledge that all of the viewing public was paying high fees to watch a sports network, between the cord cutting and the pressure on the cable industry to reduce costs it was only a matter of time. Grandma doesn't want or need to pay ten bucks a month to ESPN.
I understand it. With the internet being in everyone's hands, just showing highlights doesn't cut it anymore, but if they had stuck to Sportscenter and expanded their reach to other sports, I think they could've had a better model.
You know what programming they have that draws pretty good audiences? The coverage of the WSOP (poker) and the Scripps Spelling Bee. Instead of focusing coverage on MORE sports or contests, they moved away from that to pseudo news crap and way too many analyst shows.
Remember in the early days when they would show Australian Rules Football? They never kept going with that model. Instead of putting fringe sports on the radar and maybe expanding the reach of things like ultimate Frisbee or rugby or things like ski jumping in the winter, they went away from that type of programming. When they have focused on lesser sports, they've been successful. The X games draws decent ratings and their coverage of college lacrosse has brought in viewers. They needed to expand that.
It gets made fun of, but if perhaps the Ocho showed the Dodgeball finals, it might be more entertaining than listening to two schmucks like Bayless and Smith.
Is it the fact that ESPN does not just concentrate on sports news and highlights ... but tries to be politically correct as well ?
I guess that I am a little lost at exactly what you mean (without trying to bring politics into this).
I can't go into too much detail here, but...
(1) Corporate media has been exposed and people are literally cutting the cord with cable. ESPN is getting caught up in that.
(2) To a certain extent, ESPN is getting caught up the politicization of football and the rejection of that. There are boycott the NFL efforts (as well as other boycott efforts currently ongoing).
(3) ESPN is owned by Walt Disney which has a very obvious political bias and has not been shy in pushing that agenda.
(4) We're in the middle of one of the most significant political revolutions in American history. Sports seems more trivial right now.
A lot of people also don't want sports, and never did. Cable companies like FiOS now offer subscribers sports free packages. A lot of sports can also now be watched online. People also have a lot more viewing choices, both on and off line.
Work has also changed. By 2020, as much as 40% of the country may be self employed. The "gig" economy is real. More people are working odd hours that may make it harder for them to watch sports.
ESPN paid exorbitant rights fees based on the belief that most of the country loves to watch sports. That belief was apparently wrong. Absent major changes, it doesn't look like their business model is sustainable.
Not saying there can't bee a loose tie to it, but to point to factors like Disney or a "political revolution" is going quite a bit overboard.
Quote:
But what sociopolitical issues are you talking about ?
Is it the fact that ESPN does not just concentrate on sports news and highlights ... but tries to be politically correct as well ?
I guess that I am a little lost at exactly what you mean (without trying to bring politics into this).
I can't go into too much detail here, but...
(1) Corporate media has been exposed and people are literally cutting the cord with cable. ESPN is getting caught up in that.
(2) To a certain extent, ESPN is getting caught up the politicization of football and the rejection of that. There are boycott the NFL efforts (as well as other boycott efforts currently ongoing).
(3) ESPN is owned by Walt Disney which has a very obvious political bias and has not been shy in pushing that agenda.
(4) We're in the middle of one of the most significant political revolutions in American history. Sports seems more trivial right now.
Agree with all of this. Saturation is another problem. There is just too much sports on TV. Most activities start to lose their speciality the more available they become.
Quote:
But what sociopolitical issues are you talking about ?
Is it the fact that ESPN does not just concentrate on sports news and highlights ... but tries to be politically correct as well ?
I guess that I am a little lost at exactly what you mean (without trying to bring politics into this).
I can't go into too much detail here, but...
(1) Corporate media has been exposed and people are literally cutting the cord with cable. ESPN is getting caught up in that.
(2) To a certain extent, ESPN is getting caught up the politicization of football and the rejection of that. There are boycott the NFL efforts (as well as other boycott efforts currently ongoing).
(3) ESPN is owned by Walt Disney which has a very obvious political bias and has not been shy in pushing that agenda.
(4) We're in the middle of one of the most significant political revolutions in American history. Sports seems more trivial right now.
I might have missed something - what's Disney's political bias?
This reads like a talking point on ESPN. Many people rush to sports in stressful times. The ability to escape reality for a few hours can be very important.
Now if you're saying the politicization of sports and the showing of non-sports issues is turning off a percentage of viewers, sure, I could see this. I don't, however, think the drop in NFL ratings has anything to do with ESPN and it's parent company, or the political climate.
We all know baseball had improved ratings this last postseason, and a quick google search shows NBA ratings are doing fine. The NFL ratings are the fault of the NFL...not the political climate.
It isn't that they have a bunch of analysts. They just have a bunch of crap. PTI, Around the Horn and those type of shows where people argue over the same issues is boring as hell. They come up with opinions from so-called experts and label it, six pack of facts. Facts? Get out of here.
Have you ever listened to ESPN Radio? Same baloney. They have a guy like Cowherd come on and scream for three hours about things, then another talker comes on and screams about the same things, then another. Ever since I got satellite radio in my car I haven't listened to ESPN once.
To me it has more to do with Cable bundling itself as a doomed way to package media.
I save $65 a month and can get all the programs I want currently for free. The internet long ago changed the perception of generations younger than me as to what they are willing to pay for. Pretty much any content should be free is the viewpoint. No one feels guilty about getting content for free. No provider or creator of content can keep up with people finding ways to provide it to others for free.
The above has nothing to do with the perceived Disney/Kaitlyn Jenner new world order cabal or the new revolution of the "masses".
Agree, and honestly, I rarely read King's column anymore.
To me it has more to do with Cable bundling itself as a doomed way to package media.
Gruden needs to go back to coaching or something but his time has come and gone as a play by play. The network continues to run commercials and miss live game play action. All of the talking heads they have are Look at me shock jocks. The channel brings nothing to the viewer of value other than a sports ticker that you can find on the internet.
I save $65 a month and can get all the programs I want currently for free. The internet long ago changed the perception of generations younger than me as to what they are willing to pay for. Pretty much any content should be free is the viewpoint. No one feels guilty about getting content for free. No provider or creator of content can keep up with people finding ways to provide it to others for free.
The above has nothing to do with the perceived Disney/Kaitlyn Jenner new world order cabal or the new revolution of the "masses".
Its certainly true in part, but definitely not an absolute. Many people that are 25 are still living at home, so what about them? Some reports say we are reaching a record high of young adults staying home longer due to rising costs with everything and less employment opportunity for them to live on their own.
Cord cutting is definitely the top factor but it definitely is not the sole factor. People are tired of the bullshit and there's other stuff to do that doesn't impose an agenda on them. TV/Movie content has never been better as well. I fit the social issues into this bucket because there's enough content elsewhere where suffering through what sports crams down our throats is no longer necessary.
I am not modeling those behaviors for my sons. They see me watch the game, read BBI, watch highlights and interviews on Giants.com, then during the game rewatch the game and others using Gamepass. They're doing the same thing.
If I want to know what happened to the Eagles, Cowboys, or Redskins I watch it on Gamepass.
Although I subscribe to ESPN because I'm a DirecTV customer, I don't watch it or any other sports shows. Live programming. Discussion boards. Exclusive interviews and behind the scenes coverage from the teams websites.
This is the behavior that I'm modeling, and my sons who are barely into their 20's will only remember this behavior.
People are just tired of it.