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ESPN begins purging talent today

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J

Jacce

Banned
Lkr said:
ESPN really isn't dying and the NBA is nowhere close to death.
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Well, yeah I mean NBA is getting MORE popular, it is in a far better position that most sports.

Best positioned of the 4 major sports due to its massively growing popularity overseas one could argue. NBA is becoming very popular in China for example. The growing China market has no interest in the other 3 big leagues but is eating up the NBA at a growing rate every year.

If any league is best positioned for a streaming only world it is the NBA, because unlike the other 3 leagues its appeal is worldwide with a far larger pool of potential customers.
 
P

perfectchaos007

Member
I'm going to play the worlds smallest violin for ESPN

3-9-2010_2-23-31_pm.jpg


I wish this image had an update more recent than 2009 but you get the idea
 
Ron Mexico

Ron Mexico

Member
Amory said:
Shows like SportsCenter, Baseball Tonight, NFL Live/Countdown, etc were great to just have on in the background, and it was the lion's share of ESPN's content. Now it's just a competition for who can have the hottest take.
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I wonder how much of a blow losing NFL Primetime was to them. TJ and Berman (even if you hate the guy, he was an institution) were the de facto Sunday night highlight show.

Baseball Tonight is another odd one. Then again, ESPN used to carry a much larger MLB slate too.
 
K

kirby_fox

Banned
lazygecko said:
I never really gave any thought on what the future of sports broadcasting would be like in the new fragmented online media landscape. Is there even any potential for smaller/solo independant outlets to flourish like in other venues of entertainment?
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Won't really be independent, but I'd be curious if places like YouTube, Twitter, Yahoo and the like that have been streaming live games might jump at the chance to get some announcers?

How have sports ratings been doing aside from football anyways? Last I remember the NFL was the only one bringing in a good sized audience.
 
D

dionysus

Yaldog
Lkr said:
ESPN really isn't dying and the NBA is nowhere close to death. There is a lot of hyperbole in these threads about the looming death of ESPN. ESPN can still monetize their streaming platform for example. They still have over 70 million cable subscribers. The only reason they are doing these cuts is because earnings are down and in our current economic order, that means the business is toxic and you need to sell all of your shares. In reality, ESPN is fine, they're just not bringing in the record shattering revenues they once were.
ESPN is going to be fine overall still because of how much live sports rights they still own. They have SEC and ACC sports locked up, the NBA, 3 of the 4 tennis majors, early round coverage of the masters, an MLB package, MNF. Their biggest loss is the World Cup but we'll all be wishing they still had it after Fox shits the bed and lets Alexei Lalas commentate.
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I disagree. The trend of declining revenues is going to continue. Now normally you could manage that by cutting costs, but ESPN also has several long term contracts with sports leagues, MLB, NFL, SEC, NBA, CF playoffs, etc that have a fixed cost structure for years. The only thing they can do is cut back office staff, reporters, and on air personalities. This has been going on for like two years now and it is going to continue. This round of layoffs won't be the last.

Edit. I agree on the hyperbole part. ESPN will not die any time soon. But it is not going to be a fun place to work for the foreseeable future.
 
MisterR

MisterR

Member
Luschient said:
As the cord-cutting trend continues it'll be interesting to see if each of the major sports just rolls out their own app (ala MLB Network) and you'll have to get that if you want to see any of the games, thus ending channels like ESPN, Fox Sports, etc.
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ESPN still has like 88 million people paying to get their content through cable. Their profits or down but ESPN ending from cord cutting is decades down the road.
 
jobber

jobber

Would let Tony Parker sleep with his wife
Justin Bailey said:
Yeah I have Sling, and whenever I watch ESPN most of the "commercial breaks" are literally a placeholder graphic and music saying "we'll be right back" - like how the fuck are they NOT selling commercial time on streaming services? No wonder they are running out of money.
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Its a Disney thing. The ads companies pay for are for television only. They have to pony up more cash for their ads to run online.
 
T

TWrecks310

Banned
Why are so many Twitter users dumb enough to think that this is happening because "ESPN went liberal, we don't want politics with our sports."
 
C

Culex

Banned
I work right down the road from their headquarters in Bristol. Seeing a ton of ex-employees rolling over their 401k.
 
E

effzee

Member
Once again people with takes on why ESPN is losing viewers without stating the real reasons.

I even got into a Twitter spat with some dolts who think ESPN is losing viewers cause it's a liberal propaganda machine.

Like WTF?
 
T

TarpitCarnivore

Member
Jacce said:
Why do people keep bringing up just the MLB and NHL network but not the NFL or NBA networks?

For example what do they do better than the NBA network? I mean NBA TV gets better ratings than either of them after all.
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I'm only speaking for my own self and since I don't watch NFL or NBA I can't speak to their coverage as it compares to MLB & NHL. I also, personally, feel that NHL and MLB have embraced media, tech and higher level statistical analysis a lot better and sooner than other leagues. MLBAM is leagues ahead of DirecTV Sunday Ticket app.

I can acknowledge, and applaud, the complete turn around the NBA has been able to do since the early 00's.
 
T

TWrecks310

Banned
Lkr said:
Because if a show doesn't appeal to them no one can like it. See SC6.
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Basically, and I'm not even really a fan of that show despite liking Jemele Hill a lot.

I should also say that when I say "politics," I really mean the modern day version where we debate the humanity of people.
 
Amory

Amory

Member
Lkr said:
ESPN really isn't dying and the NBA is nowhere close to death. There is a lot of hyperbole in these threads about the looming death of ESPN. ESPN can still monetize their streaming platform for example. They still have over 70 million cable subscribers. The only reason they are doing these cuts is because earnings are down and in our current economic order, that means the business is toxic and you need to sell all of your shares. In reality, ESPN is fine, they're just not bringing in the record shattering revenues they once were.
ESPN is going to be fine overall still because of how much live sports rights they still own. They have SEC and ACC sports locked up, the NBA, 3 of the 4 tennis majors, early round coverage of the masters, an MLB package, MNF. Their biggest loss is the World Cup but we'll all be wishing they still had it after Fox shits the bed and lets Alexei Lalas commentate.
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They paid an assload of money for all of that live content though. Way more than they'd pay these days now that their subscriber numbers are going down.

ESPN isn't going under anytime soon, but they have a ton of bad deals on their plate that they made in the glory days, especially with their college content.
 
L

Lkr

Member
Inyourprime said:
*shrug* If Bomani, Lebatard & Stugotz are gone, I'll just follow them.
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Stugotz owns (or owned) 790 the ticket, the station that DLS originated from, so even if they're out at ESPN I imagine they'll all be fine overall since they all live in Miami and their friend Jon Weiner owns a station
 
E

effzee

Member
TWrecks310 said:
Why are so many Twitter users dumb enough to think that this is happening because "ESPN went liberal, we don't want politics with our sports."
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Because they are dumb and think this is tied to Trump winning and liberals losing.

One lady even linked me to some right wing website for proof which consists of examples of them covering Colin Kaepernick or interviewing women during the women's march as proof they are liberals. And tons of tweets from that right to prove how people are fed up with Liberals.
 
T

TWrecks310

Banned
So it seems like hockey coverage will be non-existent now, can't blame them really with how the sport is viewed in the U.S.

Don't think I saw it mentioned here that Dana O'Niel, one of their best college hoops writers, was let go along with their best soccer writer whose name I forget.

It really pisses me off that companies like ESPN are falling right now while we have places like Barstool that are on the rise. So damn stupid.
 
jobber

jobber

Would let Tony Parker sleep with his wife
Jacce said:
Well, yeah I mean NBA is getting MORE popular, it is in a far better position that most sports.

Best positioned of the 4 major sports due to its massively growing popularity overseas one could argue. NBA is becoming very popular in China for example. The growing China market has no interest in the other 3 big leagues but is eating up the NBA at a growing rate every year.

If any league is best positioned for a streaming only world it is the NBA, because unlike the other 3 leagues its appeal is worldwide with a far larger pool of potential customers.
Click to expand...

NBA League Pass International streams the ESPN/TNT/NBA TV games as part of the package.

TNT Overtime is free in the US which is the same game on TNT with better camera angles.
 
P

Patryn

Member
entremet said:
Isn't ESPN extremely profitable?
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It was. It used to be one of Disney's crown jewels. A large chunk of that is that they charge satellite and cable providers a preposterous amount to carry it. So if you have cable or satellite, you are paying over $7 a month for ESPN regardless of whether you watch it or not.

Enter the trend of cord cutters, as satellite and cable providers find themselves losing subscribers. That hurts ESPN badly, way more than most cable networks because they weren't getting as much and weren't as dependent on it.

Then add onto that all the recent blockbuster multi-billion dollar deals with live sports and you have increased costs and reduced revenue.
 
Tal Shiar Agent

Tal Shiar Agent

Member
I dont care about sports or anyone on ESPN but I am damn glad that they are being hurt so much because of their shitty overpriced fees. Isn't it something like $10 of every TV service is just ESPN? Want Disney channels? Can't get them without ESPN too.
 
D

Dazzler

Member
TWrecks310 said:
So it seems like hockey coverage will be non-existent now, can't blame them really with how the sport is viewed in the U.S.

Don't think I saw it mentioned here that Dana O'Niel, one of their best college hoops writers, was let go along with their best soccer writer whose name I forget.

It really pisses me off that companies like ESPN are falling right now while we have places like Barstool that are on the rise. So damn stupid.
Click to expand...

genuinely curious what your problem with Barstool is? They're putting out great stuff right now, Pardon My Take is a brilliant podcast
 
L

Lkr

Member
TWrecks310 said:
Basically, and I'm not even really a fan of that show despite liking Jemele Hill a lot.

I should also say that when I say "politics," I really mean the modern day version where we debate the humanity of people.
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I'm not a fan of the show whatsoever but it's not because of the stupid racist reasons people spew on twitter, it's because the show isn't for me. It's not targeted at my demographic. And like other shows that aren't targeted for me, I just ignore them. But since espn makes something in prime time that isn't meant for the white male adult demo, it's because of "politics" and "political correctness" not the fact that someone clearly is watching and enjoys this show.
Amory said:
They paid an assload of money for all of that live content though. Way more than they'd pay these days now that their subscriber numbers are going down.

ESPN isn't going under anytime soon, but they have a ton of bad deals on their plate that they made in the glory days, especially with their college content.
Click to expand...
They did overpay but things like college football playoff is bringing in tons of viewers and when they finally do start serving ads online, it will really help.
No ESPN isn't what it once was. But they're in better shape than NBC Sports and Fox Sports because they have a much wider content portfolio. They're getting rid of outrageous contracts for talking heads because they overpaid for this content. That's fine by me, I only tune in to espn for actual sports content.
Fox Sports is trying to compete with ESPN by buying up all of their expired talent with massive contracts and airing shows that get worse ratings than reruns of Gunsmoke.
So to say that ESPN isn't doing as well as it once did is correct. To act like they are doomed or are going to fail is an oversimplistic and hyperbolic conclusion, especially when you look at the fact that they have several competitors that are much more fucked than they are long term.
 
G

Ganhyun

Member
Patryn said:
It was. It used to be one of Disney's crown jewels. A large chunk of that is that they charge satellite and cable providers a preposterous amount to carry it. So if you have cable or satellite, you are paying about $5 a month for ESPN regardless of whether you watch it or not.
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see my post earlier. Its actually over 7 dollars per subscriber.
 
D

Dishwalla

Banned
Justin Bailey said:
Yeah I have Sling, and whenever I watch ESPN most of the "commercial breaks" are literally a placeholder graphic and music saying "we'll be right back" - like how the fuck are they NOT selling commercial time on streaming services? No wonder they are running out of money.
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On Sling you are paying for ESPN almost directly, it and other Disney networks like Disney Channel and Freeform are in their own package(the blue pack). You don't have to subscribe to that package, it's an option(though you either have to have that blue pack or the orange pack, which has a greater variety of channels).
 
P

Plinko

Wildcard berths that can't beat teams without a winning record should have homefield advantage
Wow, the bitterness about the NHL not cominnback to their network in full swing.
 
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