OT (and SIAP): Why ESPN is Struggling
I take no pleasure in people losing their jobs. I take even less pleasure in such a thing when people are losing their jobs because of what appears to be gross mismanagement. Here is a link to an article explaining how ESPN appears to have HIGHLY overpaid for certain broadcast rights, and did so just as it made a huge mistake that cost the channel millions of subscribers:
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/espn-made-two-critical-mistakes-132855270….
P.S. There is a link to other articles within this article that have more hard numbers. They basically confirm the thrust of this article, however...
October 27th, 2015 at 8:37 PM ^
If I want highlights I go to MLBN NBATV NFLN...
October 27th, 2015 at 9:35 PM ^
Watch stuff online, read, Fox Sports and a bunch of other channels. It does not always have to be ESPN, unless you only like NFL, College Football and Basketball.
October 27th, 2015 at 10:14 PM ^
but when espn first started broadcasting they had some good personalities on air like The Boomer and the handles he gave to professional ball players. Born in ' 52, I no longer have an interest in professional sports due to free agency and the fact you could be cheering someone on Monday and jeering them on Tuesday.
I believe, based on the writing of the majority on this site, that I am removed from most by at least 4 decades and my opinion is probably in the minority. With that said, I don't see a place, even in the watered down version of on-air personalites, for people like Skip and Stephen A. to pretend like they like one another and their continuous over kill on attempts to be considered in the know with their attempts at being young, hep, not ready to grow up yet almost pukes me. They, along with da bitch from His and Hers, and their flagrant disregard for professionalism by being unable to present a modicum of objectivity when it comes to their favorite teams and sports personalities is somehow acceptable by today's producers, but yet I see no place for it, even with 24/7 broadcasting.
So yeah, I limit myself to live broadcasts of sporting events with the exception of all things cfb. I like the takes given by people who have actually played the games, uderstand the nuances involved with a perfectly timed pass to a receiver who runs a perfect route and is rewarded by a qb who is able to fit the ball inside a cereal box sized target. If more frugal, I would call Direct and tell them to disable BTN and ESPN both for all months, excluding August through Dec. The bowl games are still covered by the old Big Three, therefore the need for the special niche television is not there.
As I stated, I am in the minority, both on my viewing choices and more than likely my choices on who I want to present what I've just seen through their eyes.
October 27th, 2015 at 10:45 PM ^
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October 27th, 2015 at 11:48 PM ^
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October 27th, 2015 at 8:36 PM ^
October 27th, 2015 at 8:58 PM ^
October 27th, 2015 at 9:14 PM ^
I guess I asked because I am wondering do you enjoy watch Fox Sports 1? NFL Network? MLB Network? BIG Ten Network? Etc...
Or have you just stopped watching sports networks outside of live events
October 27th, 2015 at 10:38 PM ^
I haven't really got into the FS1 guys. They seem to be a carbon copy in antics of SportsCenter. I get the bulk from internet sites (including ESPN site that I don't like format) MGOBoard, Yahoo, etc. I watch CFB Live sometimes on ESPNU and GameDay on Saturday mornings. I watch enough college basketball that I can get what i need from BTN and watch a little bit of ESPN shows. I get kinda tired of Jay Bilas complaining about how players aren't paid, but I just kinda toon him out. Get my hockey from NHL Network or just watching games and baseball from MLB. i really can't stand the ESPN baseball show guys.
October 27th, 2015 at 11:25 PM ^
Somebody sort of touched on it above, but when ESPN became the CNN/FOX News (no politics!) of sports is the day I stopped watching ESPN for anything besides live sporting events. SportsCenter was cool because it was highlights. That's it. Now, it's 100 different segments. The Coors Light 6 Pack. And the FanDuel Who Won The Week? and so forth.
I want to see highlights from some random NBA game in the middle of January, not HOT TAKE from ex-NFL player No. 156.
October 27th, 2015 at 11:53 PM ^
October 28th, 2015 at 12:39 AM ^
I haven't watched SportsCenter in years... I get my sports fix in by listening to the local AM sports stations driving to and from work (Denver).. Typically if something ''big'' happened it will be discussed, and then I'll jump on the net to watch the highlights/ read more about it. I do still rely on ESPN for live games. That's about it.
October 28th, 2015 at 6:35 AM ^
October 28th, 2015 at 10:29 AM ^
Thanks guys. All interesting points... However I would never refer to Jemelle Hill with the words some of you have.
Anyway I get your points and thank you for sharing. One thing I'll say to everyone is if you like something on TV watch it please! If you don't like it or don't like somone please don't watch it! TV content is driven by ratings.
I know everyone was sick of Tebow time! I couldn't stand Tebow talk. I hate working on it. BUT NFL Countdown did an unannounced hour long, commercial free Tebow hour a few years ago. That was and I think still is the highest rated hour for a regular season Tebow segment. The rating numbers from First Take during that time have never been higher.
Last time I checked, which was not recent, the highest rated Monday night game was Brett Favre returning to Green Bay with the Vikings. These things make ESPN and other networks double-down on topics and people that most of us can't stand hearing about.
We can change what networks show and how they show it but the best way to speak loudly is to watch or not watch.
October 28th, 2015 at 1:30 PM ^
ESPN pulling their copyright badges out on Youtube now, any of their content is being removed.
October 28th, 2015 at 4:04 PM ^
has more to do with their personality. They were better with Bob Ley than Chris Berman - with a natural Linda Cohn or Suzy Kolber versus the objectified females proiferating the genre today.
They were more sports than talking heads. A highlight show presented more like a newcast versus highlights intermixed with egotistical rants from lunatics with bad manners. Just because they were carried into homes doesn't mean it is a product worth watching.
October 28th, 2015 at 4:36 PM ^
The Mike and Mike radio show used to be entertaining, but I am so tired of Greenberg's endless desire to talk about controversary. For example, for the full 25 minute drive that I have to work this morning, he talked about whether the media should have reported on the death of Edison Volquez's father, before Volquez knew of the death and against the wishes of Volquez's family. The obviously correct answers to that question is "no" and the topic isn interesting for only a few minutes.
Instead of talking about sports, the show focuses on controversy -- Deflategate, Favre, TO, etc., etc.