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ESPN

Da Coach

Da Coach

Moderator
Staff member
Many of us watch ESPN or read online sports coverage. But in the last couple years, ESPN has faced stiffer competition for sports fans, and they have become much more political in their sports coverage. It has lead to a loss of millions of viewers and subscribers, as well as billions in lost revenues.
http://www.outkickthecoverage.com/e...ubscribers-as-cord-cutting-accelerates-052816
http://www.outkickthecoverage.com/espn-profit-plummets-as-network-turns-left-020817

In the last 18 months, they have laid off hundreds of employees, though few were on-air personalities. But today, the hammer fell on 100 more of their employees, many of whom were top writers, sportscasters, and on-air personalities, and there will be more to come as the company continues to lose massive amounts of money.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/26/sports/espn-layoffs.html?_r=0

Hard to believe. Just a couple years ago, experts were predicting ESPN's brand and profits would continue to grow and dominate the market indefinitely. But people now look to other digital sources for their sports news, and don't like the politicization of sports that ESPN seems bent on.

Here is a partial list of some of the layoffs-
http://deadspin.com/a-running-list-of-espn-layoffs-1794664091
 
Da Coach said:
And quickly the ESPN-haters come out of the woodwork to attack their choice of who they are laying off-
https://twitter.com/jeffpearlman/status/857298139279048704
Click to expand...

Can't say that I disagree with this statement. News, sports or otherwise, is quickly just becoming a "hot take" based business with little factual support. With so much talent flooding back into the indusry, it will be interesting to see how the chairs are rearranged elsewhere.
 
Da Coach said:
Many of us watch ESPN or read online sports coverage. But in the last couple years, ESPN has faced stiffer competition for sports fans, and they have become much more political in their sports coverage. It has lead to a loss of millions of viewers and subscribers, as well as billions in lost revenues.
http://www.outkickthecoverage.com/e...ubscribers-as-cord-cutting-accelerates-052816
http://www.outkickthecoverage.com/espn-profit-plummets-as-network-turns-left-020817

In the last 18 months, they have laid off hundreds of employees, though few were on-air personalities. But today, the hammer fell on 100 more of their employees, many of whom were top writers, sportscasters, and on-air personalities, and there will be more to come as the company continues to lose massive amounts of money.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/26/sports/espn-layoffs.html?_r=0

Hard to believe. Just a couple years ago, experts were predicting ESPN's brand and profits would continue to grow and dominate the market indefinitely. But people now look to other digital sources for their sports news, and don't like the politicization of sports that ESPN seems bent on.

Here is a partial list of some of the layoffs-
http://deadspin.com/a-running-list-of-espn-layoffs-1794664091
Click to expand...

This is what happens when one becomes political and starts to favor one group or school. Just stick to what you were set up to do. Report the news for all. NCAA take note!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
from the enormous number of tweets on this subject it seems that many of the ESPN people being laid off are firing back with slams against ESPN..

I guess being paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for 20-30 years just to do what we do (watch sports and talk about it) - doesn't spark a bit of gratitude in those who benefited from it and now with the loss of the job that I guess they felt they were entitled to on THEIR terms for as long as they wanted...provokes bitterness and anger...


I wish those overpriced sports fans would get a grip, lots of people lose their jobs - many quite unfairly!
Teachers lose their jobs when school districts get cash strapped.
Workers lose their jobs when the big wigs who run their companies mismanage the business or embezzle the cash and cause the businesses to close.
Coal workers, auto workers, etc lose their jobs because the FEDS regulate their industry so severely that they can no longer compete.
Journalists lose their jobs when people don't read their newspapers any more.
And many, many others...just learn a skill and make yourself marketable - survive & thrive.
 
ESPN is making laying people off due to changes in viewership modes. It is not because people are not watching it because of political reasons. Their profits are down because people getting cable/ satellite services and their costs are going up. ESPN still makes $7 off of every residential subscription on a monthly basis. What they are finding more and more people are getting their sports news from smart phones and computers as opposed to television. That is why they have cut back and are cutting back more on the number of times Sportscenter is on during the day. They have also entered into some ridiculous contracts with the NBA, MLB and NFL. People are not watching as much of those games as they use to due to changing lifestyles. ESPN has lost revenue but it is mainly because of changes in viewer's lifestyle. It's kind of like all the focus on the 55,000 coal miners that have lost their jobs and a lot of folks are talking about. Since the first of the year their have been 59,000 people lose jobs in the retail sector due to online shopping. It's all due to changing lifestyles and technology.
 
Vent said:
ESPN is making laying people off due to changes in viewership modes. It is not because people are not watching it because of political reasons. Their profits are down because people getting cable/ satellite services and their costs are going up. ESPN still makes $7 off of every residential subscription on a monthly basis. What they are finding more and more people are getting their sports news from smart phones and computers as opposed to television. That is why they have cut back and are cutting back more on the number of times Sportscenter is on during the day. They have also entered into some ridiculous contracts with the NBA, MLB and NFL. People are not watching as much of those games as they use to due to changing lifestyles. ESPN has lost revenue but it is mainly because of changes in viewer's lifestyle. It's kind of like all the focus on the 55,000 coal miners that have lost their jobs and a lot of folks are talking about. Since the first of the year their have been 59,000 people lose jobs in the retail sector due to online shopping. It's all due to changing lifestyles and technology.
Click to expand...

This is the primary reason for sure. Though I still think subscriber loss has to do with content also. Not because of political reasons, but because a big chunk of their content is barely sporting related anymore. It's just people screaming. It's closer to "The Real World" than Sportscenter.

They need to fight back against the cable providers and provide their own streaming service. I'd pay to just have all ESPN channels in a streaming format. I don't want to pay 100+ bucks a month for 200 channel of crap and 10 channels. Let me choose my channels and I'll buy.
 
I was listening to a financial program on the radio last night and they were extremely familiar with ESPN and the industry as a whole. ESPN profits are down but their net worth is still substantial and contrary to what some may think, is in no way in any financial trouble. They are simply making adjustments to the new market as it evolves. I believe they said ESPN has lost a little over 200,000 residential viewers in a specific time period. Not only has ESPN suffered the loss, but so has FOX NEWS, CNN, History Channel, CBS Sports and all other cable/satellite networks. This is due to the fact, as I stated in an earlier post, viewers are getting their information from other avenues due to technology. This is also why multiple cable/satellite networks are no longer offering 24 hour programming and are filling in those time slots with infomercials. ESPN is just making adjustments to improve their bottom line. You are going to see more of this in these same networks that provide live coverage. Many of those networks are news channels that are now offering reruns of programs televised earlier in the day.
 
I forgot some zeros in a previous post. It was suppose to be 2 million residential subscribers they have lost. They are cutting personnel. Networks they have such as ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPNU, SEC Network, ACC Network and others aren't being eliminated. It is being done to clean up the bottom line and satisfy dividend payouts to shareholders. It something corporations have become very good at.
 
They have actually lost over 9 million subscribers over the past 3 years. That is almost 10% of their entire base of subscribers, and most subscriber accounts reach multiple people. So it translates into massive loss of advertising revenue.
And the trend is expected to continue. Disney, which owns ESPN has very deep pockets, so the losses are not a devastating problem for the parent firm, which is doing quite well in every other area. But no company can afford to keep losing money without fixing the problems no matter how solid they are.
Disney and ESPN have been planning and preparing to put much more of their content into formats different from the standard cable broadcast mode. They will be expanding their streaming and direct-to-consumer services, which do not require as many employees. Each generation has less use for their newspapers and TVs, and rely more on handheld devices and streaming. That is the direction that Disney and ESPN want to move.

Here was a market report from a couple weeks ago, before the layoffs hit the news-
http://marketrealist.com/2017/04/could-there-be-more-direct-to-consumer-services-to-come-in-2q17/
 
Vent said:
I forgot some zeros in a previous post. It was suppose to be 2 million residential subscribers they have lost. They are cutting personnel. Networks they have such as ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPNU, SEC Network, ACC Network and others aren't being eliminated. It is being done to clean up the bottom line and satisfy dividend payouts to shareholders. It something corporations have become very good at.
Click to expand...

Yes I agree. Some corporations and Government organizations a lot of times take the easy road. Layoff people. The biggest asset any organization has is the people but they are the easiest to cut. Not sure with ESPN but other organizations could find other ways to cut costs if they would just look but it takes time. Most companies don't want to take the time
 
The 2 million number in my previous post was during the past year. As I said, it is effecting all programming on cable/satellite networks. Lifestyles are changing. Look around in public sometime. Nobody is talking anymore. They have the face buried in their phone. It's sad. This is in my opinion, part of the reason you see a decline in basketball games, actual attendance. Baseball is up against it can't keep the attention on the audience anymore. I can't tell you the last time I watched Sportscenter on ESPN. It has nothing to do with the manner they report it. It has everything to do with it being already old news and I have others things to do.
 
I agree. Years ago, I used to watch SportsCenter every night, but I have not watched it for many years now. My main reason for stopping was that in the early 2000's SportsCenter stopped being a sports report, and started being a performance/entertainment segment. It started with each on-air personality developing their own style ("cool as the other side of the pillow"), and that was tolerable. But then they evolved to where the entire show focused more around themes, personalities, and agendas, and now it is farcical with their attempt to reach the millennials with super-cool dudes and good-looking girls, rap music, etc.

Has anyone seen the new version of SportsCenter with Michael and Jemele? I find it unwatchable.
Does anyone else like it? Do they ever report actual sports or just discuss hip hop, players' personal lives, and other pressing cultural issues?
http://www.freep.com/story/sports/2017/02/05/espn-jemele-hill-michael-smith-sportscenter/97517714/

jemele-hill-and-michael-smith-attends-espn-the-magazines-next-event-picture-id160530663
 
Vent said:
The 2 million number in my previous post was during the past year. As I said, it is effecting all programming on cable/satellite networks. Lifestyles are changing. Look around in public sometime. Nobody is talking anymore. They have the face buried in their phone. It's sad. This is in my opinion, part of the reason you see a decline in basketball games, actual attendance. Baseball is up against it can't keep the attention on the audience anymore. I can't tell you the last time I watched Sportscenter on ESPN. It has nothing to do with the manner they report it. It has everything to do with it being already old news and I have others things to do.
Click to expand...

Oh my!! I could not agree with you more. With all the new technology around these days I think communication has actually gotten worse. I don't know how many times my girlfriend and I are out to dinner and see a young couple. They are not talking to each other. They have their heads buried in their phones. How sad!!!!!
 
Chico said:
Haven't seen that part of ESPN yet Coach. Thanks for the warning.
Click to expand...
they've run endless ads & promos for Michael & Jemele but it still hasn't done real well

if you watch any of these at all, you will see why
http://www.617report.com/2017/04/i-analyzed-recent-ratings-for-espns-6.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HicfXJaphA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JImDKDUg0R0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7pSFfuj2RI

FWIW- Some have linked the tanking of ESPN's ratings and the firing of hundreds to their shift towards left wing politics and ideals
http://www.outkickthecoverage.com/espn-moves-left-wing-so-ceo-can-run-for-president-032917
 
tornado said:
they've run endless ads & promos for Michael & Jemele but it still hasn't done real well

if you watch any of these at all, you will see why
http://www.617report.com/2017/04/i-analyzed-recent-ratings-for-espns-6.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HicfXJaphA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JImDKDUg0R0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7pSFfuj2RI

FWIW- Some have linked the tanking of ESPN's ratings and the firing of hundreds to their shift towards left wing politics and ideals
http://www.outkickthecoverage.com/espn-moves-left-wing-so-ceo-can-run-for-president-032917
Click to expand...
Another good reason not to watch ESPN.
 
All the crackpipes can say what they "think" is the reason people don't watch ESPN anymore...

But BOTTOM LINE is ... the "product" sux.

Yes - we will tune in for live coverage for games or whatever... live coverage.

But outside that? It sux.

Anyone watching outside their live coverage must be a moron.

:roll:

:twisted:
 
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