Hmmm I wonder why
ESPN "Officially on Life Support"
- Thread starter Random UK Fan
- Start date
I literally only watch ESPN for the games and college football talk. If I want NFL I go to NFL network, way better information and talking. ESPN has too many employees and associates that think they are politicians or that the majority of their viewers want to hear the same thing every day.
It's the only place to go where a segment will get run for a pos dookie player explaining his antics as "such a competitor". Anyone else on another team gets forever labeled a "thug", "head case". The tobacco road slurp fest continues amid all the acc cheating.
ESPNs coverage of anything that casts a negative light on dook or uncheat.
It isn't on life support. No flagship brand owned by Disney is going under. Massive restructuring? Sure. Going under? No.
Here's the real problem. ESPN was THE perfect network and SportsCenter was THE perfect show for the 1990s and early 2000s. When you only had a certain amount of time in front of a screen, SportsCenter got it done for you. Now, since smart phones/tablets, it is literally a waste of time (or a luxury) to sit and watch SportsCenter when you can watch it at work, on the bus, in the bathroom, wherever. So, what we've seen with this "political agenda" ESPN has nothing to do with anyone's agenda except trying to generate ratings. You can see highlights anywhere now, they were attempting to copy the talk radio model. It worked out sort of in terms of ratings, but has alienated a core audience. So, there'll be more restructuring.
At the end of the day, in this world, ESPN is a middle man. MLB and NFL both have their own networks where they can show highlights royalty free, ESPN can never do that. The end game of this is that the rights to show major league networks will GO DOWN. They have to, they've been too inflated for too long. What you're seeing here is a market correction.
Now, during that time, maybe around 5 years, we'll see a lot of changes in ESPN and in the TV markets. ESPN is already readying their over the top service. Most likely they break away from cable entirely and go subscription, which'll be hopefully under $10. I see a standard version with commercials and a Plus version where they cram mini sports centers into breaks. Once TV right inevitably come down, they can emerge profitable again.
EDIT: That article is written by a baby. "Operating in the red is a knockout blow for any company." No it isn't. Ever heard of Chapter 11? That's exactly where ESPN should go, they owe 7.5 billion with a revenue of 6 billion, that's not that ugly, especially with Disney behind you. They'll restructure, defer payments, and in 10 years they'll have it all paid off. It really isn't that hard. They're acting like ESPN will be out of cash tomorrow, and I can guarantee you they will not.
Referring to the 1.9B ESPN pays for the NFL, it is a "A number that will only continue to climb." Nice sentence fragment, dumbass. Also, it will not climb. It CANNOT climb. We're seeing now why it cannot climb. ESPN will not pay that again, and neither will anyone else. We've seen the peak, now we'll see the correction. Did this guy ever take Economics 101?
"Furthermore, if ESPN chose to go that route, why would the leagues and networks not just handle distribution themselves, completely cutting out that middle man? " Because the NFL/NBA/MLB can't charge themselves to air games. Unless THEY go over the top (a real possibility), they lose out on a massive chunk of change. Do they want to bother with that? What is the amount that farming it out to ESPN is more profitable than doing it themselves? That's the number we all have to find. As we've seen, it's too high right now. The market will correct, the licensing fees will correct, and in 5 years we'll have a different model with different contracts, and your dang football isn't going to disappear.
Here's the real problem. ESPN was THE perfect network and SportsCenter was THE perfect show for the 1990s and early 2000s. When you only had a certain amount of time in front of a screen, SportsCenter got it done for you. Now, since smart phones/tablets, it is literally a waste of time (or a luxury) to sit and watch SportsCenter when you can watch it at work, on the bus, in the bathroom, wherever. So, what we've seen with this "political agenda" ESPN has nothing to do with anyone's agenda except trying to generate ratings. You can see highlights anywhere now, they were attempting to copy the talk radio model. It worked out sort of in terms of ratings, but has alienated a core audience. So, there'll be more restructuring.
At the end of the day, in this world, ESPN is a middle man. MLB and NFL both have their own networks where they can show highlights royalty free, ESPN can never do that. The end game of this is that the rights to show major league networks will GO DOWN. They have to, they've been too inflated for too long. What you're seeing here is a market correction.
Now, during that time, maybe around 5 years, we'll see a lot of changes in ESPN and in the TV markets. ESPN is already readying their over the top service. Most likely they break away from cable entirely and go subscription, which'll be hopefully under $10. I see a standard version with commercials and a Plus version where they cram mini sports centers into breaks. Once TV right inevitably come down, they can emerge profitable again.
EDIT: That article is written by a baby. "Operating in the red is a knockout blow for any company." No it isn't. Ever heard of Chapter 11? That's exactly where ESPN should go, they owe 7.5 billion with a revenue of 6 billion, that's not that ugly, especially with Disney behind you. They'll restructure, defer payments, and in 10 years they'll have it all paid off. It really isn't that hard. They're acting like ESPN will be out of cash tomorrow, and I can guarantee you they will not.
Referring to the 1.9B ESPN pays for the NFL, it is a "A number that will only continue to climb." Nice sentence fragment, dumbass. Also, it will not climb. It CANNOT climb. We're seeing now why it cannot climb. ESPN will not pay that again, and neither will anyone else. We've seen the peak, now we'll see the correction. Did this guy ever take Economics 101?
"Furthermore, if ESPN chose to go that route, why would the leagues and networks not just handle distribution themselves, completely cutting out that middle man? " Because the NFL/NBA/MLB can't charge themselves to air games. Unless THEY go over the top (a real possibility), they lose out on a massive chunk of change. Do they want to bother with that? What is the amount that farming it out to ESPN is more profitable than doing it themselves? That's the number we all have to find. As we've seen, it's too high right now. The market will correct, the licensing fees will correct, and in 5 years we'll have a different model with different contracts, and your dang football isn't going to disappear.
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Spending way too much on their personalities. Once they get that straightened out, the focus will be back on sports and less about embracing debate
You people that pretend not to watch ESPN and the NFL because of politics are full of it. You don't watch because it's terrible right now. ESPN has devolved into 24 hours of pardon the interruption in some fashion. And they can't have Kornheiser on all 24 hrs to bail the Wilbons of the world out. It use to be light and funny now it's all heavy and argumentative. It's no differnt than any other news.
You don't have to assure me of anything. They have issues, the situation just isn't as dire as this article makes it out to be.
Here's an article about the massive profits still being cranked out by the ESPN division this time last year.
http://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/11/0...-rose-12-percent-in-fiscal-year.html?referer=
Just because subscription fees don't cover rights to programming, doesn't mean they will be "in the red."
More than a third of their revenue comes from other sources.
ESPN is playing a cat and mouse game right now. They have been sitting in the catbird seat for years because nearly all cable subscribers are locked into paying high fees for ESPN programming.
They have avoided going to an a la carte subscription model because they know they couldn't make enough in subscriptions to make up for the extra cash they currently receive from unwilling subscribers.
Eventually, that will even out. There will be a la carte options, possibly PPV options, even options we haven't considered. But the imminent death of ESPN has been exaggerated, imo.
So what is your solution to watching games, especially for those of us who did not attend the local state university and so are far away from our alma mater? I can watch every game on either an ESPN channel or the their app... what is the alternative, if ESPN goes under?
I'll never forgive Disney for ruining Star Wars. I can only hope ESPN costs them billions.
I only watch ESPN when UK is on. I dont want politics mixed with sports.
Sports bubble is due to burst at some point. Why I'm trying to get out of sports ASAP. I love working at a college, but I really should be trying to get out of higher education too. That bubble is due to burst before I retire unless some drastic changes happen in this country.
Only time I've watched SportsCenter in the last like 15 years is when I submitted a play for the SC Top 10 since they can't be bothered to tell you if your clip made it or not. One time I watched a whole episode and those ******** didn't even show the top 10. I felt like throwing my TV through the window.
Hey . . . what happened to the Scooby doo monster avatar? I kinda liked that. New one's good too, but the other was synonymous with you.
I wuit on ESPN cause all the liberal ******** they want to mix in with sports! Im so sick of heari g left wing agendas on sports channels!! The NFL flag **** was icing on cake for me. Only time I watch that channel is for a KENTUCKY game or a maybe a college football game here and there. If I want to watch any sport shows its FOX SPORTS 1. I do however watch SEC network though but I dont consider that regular ESPN. I HATE MOST ESPN TALKING HEADS AND ANNOUNCERS ANYWAYS!! TO MANY LIBERALS, DUKIES AND DOUCHEBAGS ON THAT CHANNEL. Plus the female anchors are horrid to look at. FOX has all hot woman that is a plus as well. SCREW ESPN HOPE THEY FOLD like a 2/7 off suit in texas hold'em
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Technically, no one does. This isn't my real name. Oh well . . .somehow . . .I'll find a way to move forward.
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If I didn't want to mix sports and politics I sure as hell wouldn't frequent this board! A lot of boycottin' and liberal-hatin' on here but I digress. :joy:
I don't watch ESPN as much anymore because of all of the major sports, I am probably least interested in the NFL. Don't get me wrong, it's on my TV on Sundays and I usually spend at least a couple of hours watching a game or two. But now it's also on Sunday night, Monday night and Thursday night. Now it's on in the freaking morning from London. And all spring and summer it's constant talk about the draft. God, they have made me sick of it!
Dan Patrick and Keith Olbermann on the Sunday night Big Show was appointment TV. It was really good. They have had some real talent go through Bristol. Bob Ley's Outside the Lines is a quality show. I miss Dick Schapp on the Sports Reporters.
The best thing they do now is 30 for 30. Those are outstanding.
The worst thing they ever did: it's a tie between "Dream Job" and the "Who's more Next" theme they rammed down peoples throats about 10 years ago. "Who's next? Kobe or Tiger? Discuss."
I don't watch ESPN as much anymore because of all of the major sports, I am probably least interested in the NFL. Don't get me wrong, it's on my TV on Sundays and I usually spend at least a couple of hours watching a game or two. But now it's also on Sunday night, Monday night and Thursday night. Now it's on in the freaking morning from London. And all spring and summer it's constant talk about the draft. God, they have made me sick of it!
Dan Patrick and Keith Olbermann on the Sunday night Big Show was appointment TV. It was really good. They have had some real talent go through Bristol. Bob Ley's Outside the Lines is a quality show. I miss Dick Schapp on the Sports Reporters.
The best thing they do now is 30 for 30. Those are outstanding.
The worst thing they ever did: it's a tie between "Dream Job" and the "Who's more Next" theme they rammed down peoples throats about 10 years ago. "Who's next? Kobe or Tiger? Discuss."
Cloud-based DV-R. I never watch anything when it's actually on, besides sports. I think you have 28 days to watch your shows before it goes away. I generally watch them by then, or it'll all come back on with repeats.
Ah. So I have an Amazon Fire stick and signed up for Sling. I also have a cable ready Tivo Roamio. What Sony service are you talking about? Maybe I can get it on my Tivo.
Exactly what I do, only watch them for games I'm interested in and could care less about their talk shows.
ESPN DUN SHOWED A GAY KISSING HIS GAY BF ON DRAFT DAY!!
THATS WIN I DUN NEW IT WAS TIME TO WATCH SUMTHIN ELSE.
(I kind of like ESPN for how mad they make some of you. It's great fun)
THATS WIN I DUN NEW IT WAS TIME TO WATCH SUMTHIN ELSE.
(I kind of like ESPN for how mad they make some of you. It's great fun)
It's called playstation vue. You can get it on your fire stick but probably not your TiVo. They have a two week free trial, I believe.
So, I cannot tell if this is a first rate troll job, or an actual expression of opinion by someone.
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And by "life support" they mean the network is still making millions-billions of dollars.
I'll try to hold back my tears for them.
I'll try to hold back my tears for them.
Ok, I'm all setup with Vue but I'm not seeing the DVR features. Where do you access abilities to record shows? Just IM me if you want SP
It all started with youtube for highlights. Twitter for news, and online streaming for games....for me anyway. Then again, I'm not the best example. I've never had a cord to cut.
I'm pretty sure 95% plus of my ESPN comes from BTStreams.
I'm pretty sure 95% plus of my ESPN comes from BTStreams.
Dropped cable a year ago.. Watch streams for UK games and read from google news. Easy to fact check via a primary source on the Internet if I think something is BS.
You mean Bruce Jenner's Courage Award may not have been strictly about sports?! :scream:
[roll][roll][roll]You mean Bruce Jenner's Courage Award may not have been strictly about sports?! :scream: