ESPN Bloodbath: Market correction or out of touch with demographics?

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Jason Svoboda

Jason Svoboda

The Bird Level
Administrator
ESPN is rumored to be laying off 100 folks today in a massive bloodletting to cut costs. Social media is already getting on their high horse about why it is happening but IMO they 1) overspent for pro and college media rights and 2) departed from sports and moved into scripted entertainment with all of their sports reality shows -- basically turned into the MTV of sports. Couldn't tell you the last time I watched ESPN/ESPN2.

Only time they have my eyeballs is when I'm looking for something on their website or watching the Sycamores on ESPN3. The sad part though is some of their real good journalists/reporters will be let go. A lot of those guys are often on the various ESPN sports radio stations and I will miss that knowledge.
 

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From about 15 to 30 I watched Sports Center almost daily. Maybe not closely but at least while I was getting ready for school/work or on my lunch break.

I no longer have cable but I have access to Sports Center via Apple TV/WatchESPN Application but I never watch Sports Center anymore. Most of the sports related media I receive is from my phone on Twitter or by visiting the app to see scores and highlights I want to see. I don't really care to see the scores and highlights from a bunch of teams/players I don't care about. See what I want to see and I move on with my day.

Needless to say, this doesn't surprise me at all.
 
Yup I use to be a daily espn/sportcenter watcher. Now i NEVER watch it unless there is a big sports story going on our something worth tuning into.
 
It also has become more and more political both on TV and on the radio. There was a 15 minute radio segment on one of the shows that had a guest on who had absolutely 0 connection to the sporting world. The guy was interviewed and went on and on about his support for the 5 percenters and how blacks should "only buy from other blacks"..I was not floored by the message (we all know there are extremists on both ends of the spectrum), but I was floored by the fact that it was allowed to be broadcast on semi prime time (6-7 pm) ESPN radio. There are other stations on the xm radio dial I can turn to for political takes...I am not looking for that content on ESPN radio.
 
I thought they really blew it when they had a gold mine with the play-in FBS games and they crapped in it by moving them to NYE. how in the world to you make me not care about something I look forward to
 
who even still has cable TV? Good lord, I've been cable-free for 3 years, the money I've saved has been great, don't miss it one iota!
 

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ISUCC said:
who even still has cable TV? Good lord, I've been cable-free for 3 years, the money I've saved has been great, don't miss it one iota!
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Well, that is one of their big missteps IMO. They are basically the Sears of sports programming. Why they haven't come up with an a la carte option on streaming boxes to get those cutter's eyeballs back is beyond me.

That said, I have basic cable, HBO/Showtime bundled with my Internet. If I got my Internet alone from Comcast it would be $79.99/month for the speed package I have. The bundle I have is $69.99/month so it is actually cheaper for me to have it.
 
Jason Svoboda said:
Well, that is one of their big missteps IMO. They are basically the Sears of sports programming. Why they haven't come up with an a la carte option on streaming boxes to get those cutter's eyeballs back is beyond me.

That said, I have basic cable, HBO/Showtime bundled with my Internet. If I got my Internet alone from Comcast it would be $79.99/month for the speed package I have. The bundle I have is $69.99/month so it is actually cheaper for me to have it.
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You gotta have that speed to run the high powered machine that is SycamorePride lets friggin honest!
 
Southgrad07 said:
It also has become more and more political both on TV and on the radio. There was a 15 minute radio segment on one of the shows that had a guest on who had absolutely 0 connection to the sporting world. The guy was interviewed and went on and on about his support for the 5 percenters and how blacks should "only buy from other blacks"..I was not floored by the message (we all know there are extremists on both ends of the spectrum), but I was floored by the fact that it was allowed to be broadcast on semi prime time (6-7 pm) ESPN radio. There are other stations on the xm radio dial I can turn to for political takes...I am not looking for that content on ESPN radio.
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For years I heard people say that ESPN was becoming too liberal and pushing an agenda, and I ignored it because often it came from people who were pushing their own agenda.

However, once the ESPY's (probably the stupidest award show ever invented, and that is saying a lot) gave Caitlyn Jenner a courage award while Lauren Hill was raising millions of dollars and bringing awareness for Cancer research along with women's sports, I knew that ESPN was on a tremendous downhill trajectory.
 
Bluethunder said:
For years I heard people say that ESPN was becoming too liberal and pushing an agenda, and I ignored it because often it came from people who were pushing their own agenda.

However, once the ESPY's (probably the stupidest award show ever invented, and that is saying a lot) gave Caitlyn Jenner a courage award while Lauren Hill was raising millions of dollars and bringing awareness for Cancer research along with women's sports, I knew that ESPN was on a tremendous downhill trajectory.
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They tried to blend in and instead they blended out!! They can't compete with CBS, NBC and Fox. Look at what they've been able to do with covering the final rounds of all the major golf tournaments, they cover the final 4, they cover SEC football, they cover Nascar (which is dead to the world with Dale Jr leaving), they cover the Super Bowl, they cover Sunday NFL games. The demise of ESPN is unpresidented - someone compared it to the collaps of AOL - without a doubt.
 
SycamoreStateofMind said:
They tried to blend in and instead they blended out!! They can't compete with CBS, NBC and Fox. Look at what they've been able to do with covering the final rounds of all the major golf tournaments, they cover the final 4, they cover SEC football, they cover Nascar (which is dead to the world with Dale Jr leaving), they cover the Super Bowl, they cover Sunday NFL games. The demise of ESPN is unpresidented - someone compared it to the collaps of AOL - without a doubt.
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Hell I forgot about the Kentucky Derby. They (ESPN) covers all the under card races no one cares about but when the Derby build up begins ESPN is out when everyone really starts watching!
 

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Bluethunder said:
For years I heard people say that ESPN was becoming too liberal and pushing an agenda, and I ignored it because often it came from people who were pushing their own agenda.

However, once the ESPY's (probably the stupidest award show ever invented, and that is saying a lot) gave Caitlyn Jenner a courage award while Lauren Hill was raising millions of dollars and bringing awareness for Cancer research along with women's sports, I knew that ESPN was on a tremendous downhill trajectory.
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Honestly though, if you look at the cuts today, it appears they are doubling down on their new era programming as most of the folks cut were the reporters and journalists.
 
Jason Svoboda said:
Honestly though, if you look at the cuts today, it appears they are doubling down on their new era programming as most of the folks cut were the reporters and journalists.
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Which is a mistake in my opinion, but what do I know. They had some really good reporters and broke more stories than other networks.

You said it correctly when you made the comparison to MTV. They seem to be moving further and further from sports, and more into entertainment.

That is why I had such high hopes for FoxSports1 which was a tremendous letdown. Now, when I need highlights or news, I just go to that sports channel. If I want baseball news, I go to the MLB channel. When I need basketball or football, I go to NBA or NFL channel.
 
Bluethunder said:
Which is a mistake in my opinion, but what do I know. They had some really good reporters and broke more stories than other networks.

You said it correctly when you made the comparison to MTV. They seem to be moving further and further from sports, and more into entertainment.

That is why I had such high hopes for FoxSports1 which was a tremendous letdown. Now, when I need highlights or news, I just go to that sports channel. If I want baseball news, I go to the MLB channel. When I need basketball or football, I go to NBA or NFL channel.
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More into entertainment??

sh*t they letters MEAN Entertainment and Sports Programming Networks


but yes, i agree; they're far, FAR more driven by entertaining people vs. reporting... here's a news tip espn... the schmoe reading the news shouldn't be the Bigger Story than the sports event
 

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We still have ESPN on often in our house, but it is often difficult to find actual sports stuff vs. Talk Radio Sports stuff.. It has seemed to me that ESPN has been narrowing their sports programming to NBA and NFL analysts and guests, etc. I just don't care about the NBA - and I don't care to hear about the NFL 365 days per year... It gets better during Feb/March (NCAAB)... and Nov/Dec (NCAAF) but that's about it..
I only watch ESPN for the 30/30, PTI and SportsCenter... other than that, I'm on MLB Network, Golf Network or FoxSportsMidwest...
 
I wonder what the contracts for some of the on-air personalities ended up being when television airtime on some of the talking head shows increased over the last few years. With the gluttony of networks aside from the Flagship and Deuce, there is NEWS, Deportes, Classic, SEC, Longhorn, ACC (the Ocho!) , U, and maybe a few others...as those media responsibilities piled up, I can guess contractual compensation did as well...
 
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