https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/16/...-fortunes.html?smid=tw-nytimes&smtyp=cur&_r=0
Aren't you excited? LOL
Aren't you excited? LOL
NYT: Skipper Betting on Big Personalities to Turn Espn Around
- Thread starter Smashcat
- Start date
Anyone watch the Draft Lottery last night? Whoever that "sideline" lady was had absolutely no presentation skills.
And this is what they decided to keep?
And this is what they decided to keep?
ESPN has lost track of the audience that made them the "Worldwide leader in sports". Sports are a diversion from the hassles of everyday life, so why would ESPN decide to inflect a politically charged agenda into an area of life that has thrived outside of that realm?
Present the games as the main attraction, and get personalities who are involved in said sports and can give unbiased takes.
Too many on air personalities think they're bigger than the games. That's what has driven me away from all espn programming, outside UK games.
Too many on air personalities think they're bigger than the games. That's what has driven me away from all espn programming, outside UK games.
ESPN is doomed. They are overpriced and since they use most of their time talking about politics and a little sports instead of broadcasting sporting events, there is really no reason to watch them. I managed to watch every sporting event over the last 12 months that I wanted to see without turning to ESPN a single time. I expect that record to continue.
The vast majority of people don't care if they talk politics or not. Tons of people are cutting cable, me being one.
deplion betting ESPN's "big personalities" only accelerate their decline.
Since when did poker become a sporting event? Yet they broadcast poker.
They just don't get it do they. Just show sports and highlights. Don't need all the other stuff. 99% of the folks don't care.
Lol if the "Big Personalities " are like Mike Greenberg who is gonna anchor there morning TV coverage, then they are doomed.
I can't think of any sports radio or TV host with less personality than him. Complete corporate boy who tows the company line and never has an original thought. Good luck with that
I can't think of any sports radio or TV host with less personality than him. Complete corporate boy who tows the company line and never has an original thought. Good luck with that
Here's a clue ESPN, stick to good solid sports broadcasting and sports journalism. That what folks want that tune in.
I disagree with this characterization. I think he's not bad - and his ratings attest to that, somewhat.
But really, what are the alternatives? people complain about "ESPN being too political", and they complain about the "opinion people/yellers" like Stephen A Smith. I would think a "less personality" type like Greenberg would be welcomed with open arms in light of those complaints. Pretty soon, there will be no one left to pick from.
How many on here watched that entire 30 minute lottery show last night? Hopefully very few, if any. I tuned in for the 5 minutes when the guy opened the envelopes. That is all I cared about and all that needed to be shown. Instead it's become 25 minutes of unnecessary yapping and, oh by the way, here is the lottery order. Perfect example of one reason for that network's decline. IMO.
BTW, just read yesterday that Ron Jaworski and Merrill Hodge were both let go in the purge a couple of weeks back. Surprising, they were both good and popular. When we talked in the threads on here about the layoffs at ESPN, I noted at the time that although around 100 were supposedly dropped, the running lists on various sites only showed about 60-65 names. I wondered at the time if there were any other big names not yet revealed. After Jaws and Hodge, I wonder it again.....
You have no proof what so ever that politics aren't playing a huge role. None.
Myself? I cut the cord and didn't pick up espn because of political reasons.
I have friends and family that did the same.
Even on this board you've got loads of people saying the politics caused a problem.
You've got long time espn personalities saying politics played a big role.
It's both, and the only people trying to pretend it's not political at all, are people who agree with their ideology.
With the advent of great local coverage on the internet, podcasts, radio, etc. the ESPN model of sports news will fade away quickly if they continue to do things the way they are now.
I rarely watch Sports Center or any other ESPN programming because I can get EXACTLY what I want about my favorite teams from specific team coverage on the entities i mentioned above.
Time is so precious now days that people want to hear news about their specific interests and don't want to wade through all the crap to get a snipet of the thing they care about.
Disney can afford to keep ESPN and tinker around with it because they'll make billions off every star wars movie every couple years for the next two decades. That's just world wide box office and not including toy and lunch box sales or the royalties they'll make from here til kingdom come.
Right now, ESPN is a leaky toilet at the Magic Kingdom and isn't going to affect the entirety of the house that the mouse built.
Wouldn't expect any drastic changes for the better anytime soon. They don't seem interested in getting back to basics and selling a great product that appeals to all. They are clearly seeing ESPN as a nice little social experiment they can showcase to all their liberal, elite, actor and celebrity class friends.
Right now, ESPN is a leaky toilet at the Magic Kingdom and isn't going to affect the entirety of the house that the mouse built.
Wouldn't expect any drastic changes for the better anytime soon. They don't seem interested in getting back to basics and selling a great product that appeals to all. They are clearly seeing ESPN as a nice little social experiment they can showcase to all their liberal, elite, actor and celebrity class friends.
Poker is my job. Only job I've really ever had besides when I was high school. Watching poker on TV is torture.
And poker on TV is probably the worst learning tool out there. Camera cuts to a table to see a decision being made, whether its call, raise or fold, its misinformation. Poker is situational. You have no idea the dynamics of that table, how each player have been playing, slow table, or wild re-raising every hand table.
Disney still makes twice more in annual profit off ESPN than it does off Star Wars, Beauty and the Beast and its entire movie division rolled together. ESPN remains wildly profitable (on pace for $8 billion in profit this year -- and a 40% profit margin) ... it's just that profit isn't growing leaps and bounds like it used to.
Whether that changes or not hinges almost entirely on the OTT rollout with BAMTech later this year.
http://www.hilliard.com/research/disMay2017.pdf
I wouldn't bet against Bob Iger.
Do you play the WSOP events and/or the circuit? Do you know the big name players?
ESPN has lost a ton of fans in recent (probably beyond recent) years. I can't tell you how many people I've heard say they only watch when a certain game is on. I'm the same way. I use to turn ESPN on and it would stay on for hours even when Kentucky wasn't playing. Now I rarely even look at the guide to see what's on it. If they want to be like reality TV, then start a network just for stuff like SC 6, First Take, PTI, Around the Horn, etc. It could be the time to start "The Ocho".
Profitable it may be, but it is becoming less and less palatable.
Streaming isn't going to make Michael, Jamele, Lebatard, among others any more tolerable or entertaining.
I don't want to watch Bomani Jones, Pablo Torre, and Max Kellerman whine and push agendas now, and I won't want to watch them do it via streaming.
The talent has been rolling out of Bristol for years. It used to be chalk full of real sports journalists and personalities but now it's a bunch of sociopolitical carnival barkers in front of a highlight reel.
Also, it's not just about a decline in talent and move towards a more social and political active mission that heavily favors one side, but what's passing for "sports" stories these days.
Steph Curry's kid crashing a press conference takes up the entire cycle for a week?
Some Miami Dolphins DB's wife gets into trouble in the parking lot breaks the presses?
So and so tweeting at him and her about this and that?
Their love affair with an arrogant, grouchy, old, ass hat in Pop, "oh he's so great". No he got lucky with a Mt. Rushmore player in Tim Duncan and his interviews aren't great, special, entertaining, enlightening, or fun, they're a pain in the ass to watch. He grumbles, growls, snarls, and acts like it's a big deal to be short and vague with cliche's and typical coach speak. He's a basketball coach who acts like he has nothing to say about basketball, but he'll take time out of his day and get real lively to talk politics out his ass though.
I'm not saying ESPN wont make money and that they'll disappear. I'm saying they're evolving into something else beyond a sports network that covers sports. I'm saying that ESPN as we have known until recently is changing. Now, some people will like it and consume it, there is a market for just about everything. However, as far as sports television, reporting, coverage, analyzing etc goes, ESPN is declining in the eyes of the masses that want just those things.
I wonder if the key phrase in that post is "that I wanted to see." Turns out he only wanted to see the games on CBS! Heh
I just stream them, or watch them somewhere usually at a bar here in Memphis with friends. Fun watching Cal dominate for Kentucky hanging around guys that hate him, but loved him for nearly a decade.
I'll watch them if Kentucky is on or I want to see a highlight I missed. I watch mainly for the eye candy, but they are running out of sugar real quick. Watching the 6pm sport center you can tell who their key demographic is. They are going for the 18-35 look by showing them doing costume shows like they are in a board meeting and the other is Michael playing dominos with ice cube. It's more about how cool it can be rather than covering highlights. The last time I watched gonzaga was 29-0 going against byu and jemiele said no disrespect to byu but gonzaga may beat them by 50. That was enough for me. She still hot though imo. They have worked wonders on that as when she started she looked like she might of been found in the parking lot.
I'm sure there are those that can't stomach another political view and drop them, but I can't prove a negative.
Yay, another political ESPN thread on a Kentucky Basketball message board by people who supossedly dont watch ESPN and dont want politics in sports.
ESPN IS DOOOOMMMMMEDDDDD....
or not.
They just make less profit...but still make profit. Cable was absurd raping approach to consumer. Now that there are better method to watch things at low cost, it's losing the major money maker.
That's all, they still make shit ton of money.
It's not about another political view.
It's about political ideology being displayed by a sports network. Not to mention it's an extreme political viewpoint, making even moderates turn their head.
ESPN has problems, and political natured analyst and material makes it worse for them.
Trying to listen to ESPN radio on the weekend is brutal. They spent hours one Saturday complaining about the Women's Olympic Hockey team getting the shaft compared to the mens team in pay and facilities. The gender and PC police are given full run of the off-prime time slots at ESPN.
The ratings are good only because of the platform. There's no other longstanding drive time national sports show with the hat big of a marketing machine and network behind it on that early. And he is a lapdog for the ESPN brass.
Yea I play the WSOP. I have 8 careers cashes there. I play more cash game than tournies tho. I have cash games set up mostly in the southeast I travel around to. Hitting the cities where the WPT is key also. Huge cash games everywhere
I've sat at the table with just about anyone you can name poker wise. Prob the big time name I know best is Dwan. He's great friends with my former roommate when I lived at the Bellagio.
