More on ESPN's Financial Troubles
- Thread starter vhcat70
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oh....- I just like inserting pics - did not research it - really - really wanted an added effect for the interview documentation...
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NASCAR has often been guilty of abandoning core fans (eliminating traditional race venues, monkeying with dates/start times and constantly changing rules) in an attempt to reach out to new fans and new markets.
It will get even worse for them because they've allowed a charter system which will protect current owners and teams virtually forever and is already discouraging start-up teams from breaking in to the sport.
ESPN has abandoned core fans by talking about sports (and tangential political issues that are related to sports) more than actually showing sports (which they foolishly paid too much for). It will get worse for them, because they fired people who actually cover sports in favor of keeping personalities.
And if you haven't noticed, the number of people saying ESPN's politics offends them is enough to demonstrate that ESPN has a problem with politics and it is costing them at least some viewers.
It will get even worse for them because they've allowed a charter system which will protect current owners and teams virtually forever and is already discouraging start-up teams from breaking in to the sport.
ESPN has abandoned core fans by talking about sports (and tangential political issues that are related to sports) more than actually showing sports (which they foolishly paid too much for). It will get worse for them, because they fired people who actually cover sports in favor of keeping personalities.
And if you haven't noticed, the number of people saying ESPN's politics offends them is enough to demonstrate that ESPN has a problem with politics and it is costing them at least some viewers.
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NASCAR did what they did because their "core fans" was a small group limited to the SE. NASCAR "exploded" because it was promoted out of that small regional market.
ESPN abandoned no one. The programming that everybody gripes about receives better ratings than the programming it replaced. ESPN's issue are due to SUBSCRIBERS, not viewers or ratings. ESPN was built on a model where it was included in every cable and satellite subscription. About 1/4 of those people ever actually watched ESPN. People now have options to be more selective in the programming they pay to see. ESPN is the story because they are by far the biggest but guess what? FoxSports, FS1 and others are losing subscribers too because every time someone cuts the cord they lose them all.
ESPN's main focus is games. Don't know about you but I never turned a game on or off because of who was covering the game.
The world is changing.
Me and my traveling buddies went to Jacksonville for the TaxSlayer/Gator Bowl, stopping in Georgia to eat at a Hooters, the night before the bowl game.
When we were leaving, I noticed the predominately mid-20ish crowd was really drawn to the sporting event on all the screens. It wasn't a bowl game, as I had expected, but some Ultimate Fighting Championship . . . names I had never heard of, in a sport I had never paid attention to. Our waitress was aware of the event, the names of the fighters, and told us they would have a crowd to watch it.
Me and my traveling buddies went to Jacksonville for the TaxSlayer/Gator Bowl, stopping in Georgia to eat at a Hooters, the night before the bowl game.
When we were leaving, I noticed the predominately mid-20ish crowd was really drawn to the sporting event on all the screens. It wasn't a bowl game, as I had expected, but some Ultimate Fighting Championship . . . names I had never heard of, in a sport I had never paid attention to. Our waitress was aware of the event, the names of the fighters, and told us they would have a crowd to watch it.
Ky HS Sweet 16 has started curtaining off parts of Rupp Arena, even the commissioner said he thinks the days are over when the tournament will draw 20,000. About half of that is what they draw these days. Used to be 20 years ago, it made a big difference in downtown Lexington traffic and activity when the Sweet 16 is here. Now, unless you drive right by Rupp Arena when the session is letting out, you wouldn't even know it was going on.
Good, they deserve it for supporting every Left-Wing-Anti-American cause in the world. I hope they go bankrupt for their Left-Wing crap.
The UConn women lose a game and ESPN lays off a bunch of people. Coincidence? The harbinger of the network losing its influence.
ESPN's model is broken and outdated. I do believe they get better ratings with their new shows than the old shows, but there are fewer people watching overall. ESPN over spent on programming and never saw the younger generation cutting the cord. That is the biggest problem. These cord cutters are also less likely to go back to cable in the future. The MTV example is a good one.
ESPN will eventually level off and the next set of big NCAA and pro league contracts will decrease. Unfortunately for ESPN they are locked into some big contracts. At that point you will see decreased attendance and tv viewers and at some point pro salaries will level out as well. There is a bubble for everything at some point, including pro sports contracts.
The younger generation doesn't seem too interested in mainstream sports. UFC, skateboarding, biking, motocross, extreme sports, etc. Is what attracts them.
ESPN will eventually level off and the next set of big NCAA and pro league contracts will decrease. Unfortunately for ESPN they are locked into some big contracts. At that point you will see decreased attendance and tv viewers and at some point pro salaries will level out as well. There is a bubble for everything at some point, including pro sports contracts.
The younger generation doesn't seem too interested in mainstream sports. UFC, skateboarding, biking, motocross, extreme sports, etc. Is what attracts them.
By Jason Whitlock in WSJ article today:
"What has truly impeded ESPN from overcoming its financial mistakes and inability to adapt to technological advances? The decade long culture war ESPN lost to Deadspin"
"Deadspin significantly elevated the price of implementing change at ESPN. The often-caustic blog mastered search-engine optimization and Twitter’s ability to gin up faux outrage. Its writers trolled ESPN talent and executives, getting plenty of attention along the way. The site particularly delighted in exposing alleged sexual malfeasance among ESPN employees."
"On the plus side, Deadspin’s exposure helped end ESPN’s sexually charged frat-house atmosphere. But it also extinguished the network’s risk-taking culture and infused it with strict obedience to progressive political correctness."
"Rather than sue Mr. Denton’s bullying internet pirates into submission the way tech billionaire Peter Thiel did, ESPN chose to acquiesce and adopt progressive ideology and diversity as groundbreaking business innovations. ESPN is the exact network Deadspin desired. It’s diverse on its surface, progressive in its point of view, and more concerned with spinning media narratives than with the quality of its product."
"“The old-school viewers were put in a corner and not appreciated with all these other changes,” veteran ESPN anchor Linda Cohn said during an April radio interview when asked if ESPN’s liberal bent hurt the network. “If anyone wants to ignore that fact, then they’re blind.”"
https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-a-...site-made-espn-politically-correct-1494187629
"What has truly impeded ESPN from overcoming its financial mistakes and inability to adapt to technological advances? The decade long culture war ESPN lost to Deadspin"
"Deadspin significantly elevated the price of implementing change at ESPN. The often-caustic blog mastered search-engine optimization and Twitter’s ability to gin up faux outrage. Its writers trolled ESPN talent and executives, getting plenty of attention along the way. The site particularly delighted in exposing alleged sexual malfeasance among ESPN employees."
"On the plus side, Deadspin’s exposure helped end ESPN’s sexually charged frat-house atmosphere. But it also extinguished the network’s risk-taking culture and infused it with strict obedience to progressive political correctness."
"Rather than sue Mr. Denton’s bullying internet pirates into submission the way tech billionaire Peter Thiel did, ESPN chose to acquiesce and adopt progressive ideology and diversity as groundbreaking business innovations. ESPN is the exact network Deadspin desired. It’s diverse on its surface, progressive in its point of view, and more concerned with spinning media narratives than with the quality of its product."
"“The old-school viewers were put in a corner and not appreciated with all these other changes,” veteran ESPN anchor Linda Cohn said during an April radio interview when asked if ESPN’s liberal bent hurt the network. “If anyone wants to ignore that fact, then they’re blind.”"
https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-a-...site-made-espn-politically-correct-1494187629
UFC is the only one on your list that I see local college kids watching. It is the only one that I see bars highlighting to get people's attentions.
But, I also see them watching NBA, college football and college basketball. In fact many college kids seem more interested in the NBA than I have ever been in my life.
ESPN is making cuts due to the mega billions paid out for NCAA/NFL/NBA/MLB/Longhorn/SEC and other rights, and an ever shrinking income from lost subscriptions from a growing number of people who are cutting cable and satellite due to the ridiculous costs. I shaved $100 a month of my cable internet bill by going to streaming only, and watching more ESPN (and other sports) than ever before.
That is just an EXCELLENT statement of opinion.... And I know it's excellent because I agree with it
Not all that surprising really. I remember reading years ago that the fee for ESPN made up a significant portion of almost everyone's cable bill,even those that never watched it. With a lot more options these days including cable packages that don't include ESPN, streaming, etc. it's no wonder they are losing subscribers. A lot of those people never wanted to subscribe to begin with, it was just part of their cable package. We sports fans forget sometimes there's an awful lot of people who pay no attention at all to sports, none of them.
I could not agree more. Once I was such a NASCAR fan that I traveled to at least 5 tracks a year. From Florida to Texas to Atlanta to Bristol and all in between.
Then NASCAR went Hollywood and turned their back on the very fans who built the sport. I never dreamed I would be turned off by NASCAR and not even watch on TV.
Cookie cutter cars.....cookie cutter tracks that aren't designed for competitive side by side or 3 wide racing......changing the rules as they go.....strong arming their fan base out of their seats with ridiculous ticket prices.....mundane drivers with no personalities. NASCAR has really shit the bed. I live close to Bristol, and even during the spring race weekend, you simply didn't try to go out to a restaurant to eat because it would be packed. Now, you wouldn't even know it was race weekend.
Good article on the sports bubble.
https://www.si.com/college-football...e-college-sports?xid=socialflow_facebook_sicr
https://www.si.com/college-football...e-college-sports?xid=socialflow_facebook_sicr
Thanks. Good article. Looks like Clemson's new FB training facility now outdoes UK's.[/QUOTE]
" Disney CEO Robert Iger, a heavy donor to Democratic politicians, may like the recent leftward tilt of Disney’s ESPN sports network. But the man who runs the mouse house can’t be happy with the recent financial performance of the cable television channel. Late Tuesday afternoon Disney reported its quarterly earnings and according to the Journal, “ESPN once again dragged quarterly results with revenue for its fiscal second quarter coming in below analysts’ expectations.” The Journal notes that operating revenue within the Disney segment that includes ESPN contracted for the fifth time in six quarters. The Journal adds:
ESPN, Disney’s cable property, has faced well-documented woes: rising costs, declining viewership and the overall cord-cutting trend.The sports network is a crucial piece of Disney’s holdings because it is the most important part of the media networks business, which comprises roughly half of the company’s operating income and is bigger than its studio and theme-park units.
About 762,000 subscribers dropped their cable- or satellite-TV service in the first quarter, the industry’s worst-ever subscriber losses to start a year and five times higher than the year-earlier period, according to MoffettNathanson."
"the website Axios claims that Mr. Iger is contemplating a run for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020. Such a run would be premised on his business success, so Disney has to be thriving for him to make a Trumpian leap into politics."
" Mr. Whitlock wrote that ESPN is “diverse on its surface, progressive in its point of view, and more concerned with spinning media narratives than with the quality of its product. The channel has become too handcuffed by politics to protect its most experienced and loyal employees. It’s a massive symbol of everything that fueled Donald Trump’s bid for the presidency.”
https://www.wsj.com/articles/more-problems-at-espn-1494369199
ESPN, Disney’s cable property, has faced well-documented woes: rising costs, declining viewership and the overall cord-cutting trend.The sports network is a crucial piece of Disney’s holdings because it is the most important part of the media networks business, which comprises roughly half of the company’s operating income and is bigger than its studio and theme-park units.
About 762,000 subscribers dropped their cable- or satellite-TV service in the first quarter, the industry’s worst-ever subscriber losses to start a year and five times higher than the year-earlier period, according to MoffettNathanson."
"the website Axios claims that Mr. Iger is contemplating a run for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020. Such a run would be premised on his business success, so Disney has to be thriving for him to make a Trumpian leap into politics."
" Mr. Whitlock wrote that ESPN is “diverse on its surface, progressive in its point of view, and more concerned with spinning media narratives than with the quality of its product. The channel has become too handcuffed by politics to protect its most experienced and loyal employees. It’s a massive symbol of everything that fueled Donald Trump’s bid for the presidency.”
https://www.wsj.com/articles/more-problems-at-espn-1494369199
