Is ESPN Doomed?

[Not A Serious Person]

ESPN held talks with NBA, NFL, MLB in search for strategic partner, sources say

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/07/21/espn-had-talks-with-nba-nfl-in-search-for-strategic-partner.html

Effectively ESPN is trying to sell itself to the NBA and the NFL. It's an act of desperation because their business model isn't working anymore.

And it's a signal that they've actually over paid for NBA and NFL games.

But why would the NBA in the NFL buy into ESPN? They know it's a bad business model, cord-cutting is already lost half their subscribers any outlook is not getting better.

—————

from the story

ESPN is trying to forge a new path as a digital-first, streaming entity. Disney realizes ESPN won’t be able to make money like it previously has in a traditional TV model.

Selling a minority stake in ESPN to the leagues could mitigate future rights payments, allowing Disney to better compete with the big balance sheets of Apple, Google and Amazon. It would also guarantee ESPN a steady flow of premium content from the leagues.

Until last quarter, Disney’s bundle of linear TV networks still had revenue growth because affiliate fee increases to pay-TV providers — largely driven by ESPN — made up for the millions of Americans who cancel cable each year. That trend finally ended last quarter, according to people familiar with the matter. Accelerating cancellations have now overwhelmed fee increases, and linear TV revenue outside of advertising has begun to decline.

Professional sports leagues could face conflicts of interest if they take a minority stake in ESPN. Owning a stake in ESPN may irritate Disney’s competitors, such as Comcast’s NBCUniversal, Fox, Amazon, Paramount Global and Apple, who help make the leagues billions of dollars by participating in bidding wars for sports rights. Taking an ownership stake in ESPN could give leagues the incentive to boost the value of that entity rather than striking deals with competitors.

[MuggsyB]

ESPN held talks with NBA, NFL, MLB in search for strategic partner, sources say

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/07/21/espn-had-talks-with-nba-nfl-in-search-for-strategic-partner.html

Effectively ESPN is trying to sell itself to the NBA and the NFL. It's an act of desperation because their business model isn't working anymore.

And it's a signal that they've actually over paid for NBA and NFL games.

But why would the NBA in the NFL buy into ESPN? They know it's a bad business model, cord-cutting is already lost have their subscribers any outlook is not getting better.

—————

from the story

ESPN is trying to forge a new path as a digital-first, streaming entity. Disney realizes ESPN won’t be able to make money like it previously has in a traditional TV model.

Selling a minority stake in ESPN to the leagues could mitigate future rights payments, allowing Disney to better compete with the big balance sheets of Apple, Google and Amazon. It would also guarantee ESPN a steady flow of premium content from the leagues.

Until last quarter, Disney’s bundle of linear TV networks still had revenue growth because affiliate fee increases to pay-TV providers — largely driven by ESPN — made up for the millions of Americans who cancel cable each year. That trend finally ended last quarter, according to people familiar with the matter. Accelerating cancellations have now overwhelmed fee increases, and linear TV revenue outside of advertising has begun to decline.

Professional sports leagues could face conflicts of interest if they take a minority stake in ESPN. Owning a stake in ESPN may irritate Disney’s competitors, such as Comcast’s NBCUniversal, Fox, Amazon, Paramount Global and Apple, who help make the leagues billions of dollars by participating in bidding wars for sports rights. Taking an ownership stake in ESPN could give leagues the incentive to boost the value of that entity rather than striking deals with competitors.

I think they could be in serious trouble. 

[Jockey]

I see a pattern with Heisy. If anything can be even remotely connected to a lib cause, Heisy posts this kind of trash.

[Not A Serious Person]

I see a pattern with Heisy. If anything can be even remotely connected to a lib cause, Heisy posts this kind of trash.

you’re telling us about your psychosis. you see conspracies everywhere

jockey is doomed

[GB Warrior]

ESPN is like religion: lots of bad takes

[Plaque Lives Matter!]

One could argue that Jesus has the first take

[WarriorFan]

Most of the content on ESPN is complete trash.  Filler, at best.  They have had some great personalities over the years, and some great successes, but I've done without them for many years now... streaming the games I want to stream from the providers that make them available.  I'm not sure ESPN deserves to survive in its current form. 

nb:  I don't watch baseball, which seems to be all they show 10 months of the year. 

[Dickthedribbler]

I believe it was 2014 when ESPN smuggly did a famous special titled "Requiem for the Big East". Perhaps Val Ackerman can get the 10 or 11 conference teams together and produce a piece titled "Requiem for an all sports network that keeps shooting itself in the foot".

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

“Keeps shooting itself in the foot??”

It’s been almost nothing but an incredible success story since its creation. No doubt they have had missteps but they have made a significant impact not only on how we consume sports, but culturally as well.

[Pakuni]

Time for a rebrand.

[tower912]

ESPN has already done the X-Games, so that would feel redundant and derivative.

[Not A Serious Person]

“Keeps shooting itself in the foot??”

It’s been almost nothing but an incredible success story since its creation. No doubt they have had missteps but they have made a significant impact not only on how we consume sports, but culturally as well.

Reads like a description of the Catholic church

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

Reads like a description of the Catholic church

Not really. Look I am hardly saying their future is bright as rosy, because if I look at the disinterest with with Gen Z follows sports, it’s worrisome. But ESPN has undoubtedly been quite successful.

[Uncle Rico]

Not really. Look I am hardly saying their future is bright as rosy, because if I look at the disinterest with with Gen Z follows sports, it’s worrisome. But ESPN has undoubtedly been quite successful.

ESPN hasn’t caused death and destruction, either.  As far as we know, they haven’t covered up decades of sex abuse of minors as well.

They halcyon days of ESPN are over.  It’ll be up to the parent company where ESPN goes.

ESPN has one thing doing for them, too.  They’re a convenient boogeyman for sports fans who think they control the strings of outcomes and getting matchups they want to broadcast.  Their are Big Ten and Big East fans who think espn is actively working against them

[MuggsyB]

There's no need to go political here. Their programming outside of live sports is really bad.  It's as simple as that.  And no one is really buying their streaming services separately.   

[lawdog77]

There's no need to go political here. Their programming outside of live sports is really bad.  It's as simple as that.  And no one is really buying their streaming services separately.   

You must be new here.

[The Lens]

What is ESPN?  They are the very best, by an incredible margin, all sports network.  They have no peer in their industry.

Their trouble?  With the cable bundle fading they have gone from 110 million subs to 80 some and will probably bottom out at 55 million.  Their problem is FS1 and everyone elses best day. 

What they are doing now is trying to right size. 

[Pakuni]

And no one is really buying their streaming services separately.   

No one?

https://www.statista.com/statistics/1054451/espn-plus-subscriber-us/

[MuggsyB]

No one?

https://www.statista.com/statistics/1054451/espn-plus-subscriber-us/

Their not live sports stuff is abysmal Pakumi.  I think we can all agree here. 

[The Lens]

Their not live sports stuff is abysmal Pakumi.  I think we can all agree here.

The Last Dance?  30 for 30?

Their sports docs did the impossible and supplanted HBO Sports for best documentary content.

And you don't like SportsCenter, Get Up or First Take?  Which of their competitor shows do you like in their place? 

[Uncle Rico]

The Last Dance?  30 for 30?

Their sports docs did the impossible and supplanted HBO Sports for best documentary content.

And you don't like SportsCenter, Get Up or First Take?  Which of their competitor shows do you like in their place?

Gameday remains the gold standard for pregame shows

[Pakuni]

Their not live sports stuff is abysmal Pakumi.  I think we can all agree here.

I don't agree.
The "30 for 30" films are consistently great. E60 can be hit and miss, but is good more often than not. "Outside the Lines" (RIP) was outstanding.
The "hot take" universe is trash, but no, not all of the not live sports stuff is abysmal.

[MuggsyB]

The Last Dance?  30 for 30?

Their sports docs did the impossible and supplanted HBO Sports for best documentary content.

And you don't like SportsCenter, Get Up or First Take?  Which of their competitor shows do you like in their place?

My apologies.  They have had some good 30 for 30's.  But for the most part they have terrible entertainment.  Van Pelt is good but other than him the formulaic programs are excrement and have been for a long time.  Their competitors shows are also awful. 

[MU82]

The Last Dance?  30 for 30?

Their sports docs did the impossible and supplanted HBO Sports for best documentary content.

And you don't like SportsCenter, Get Up or First Take?  Which of their competitor shows do you like in their place?

They have had some excellent documentaries, including most recently the one on Bill Walton.

I usually watch at least some Sportscenter every night, as do most of the sports fans I know. I watch just about none of their "personalities" shows (such as the two you mentioned), though I do occasionally tune into PTI.

Like every network that has jumped into streaming (which is just about every network), Disney is trying to figure out how to best make money off its platform. ESPN might fail -- indeed, it might be doomed -- but I wouldn't bet on it happening real soon.

[dgies9156]

What's happening to ESPN is nothing more than what's happening to most media outlets. Technology has changed and either they adapt to the new technology or they die the death of a thousand cuts.

Rights are expensive. Staffing and programming isn't cheap. Traditional cable systems are dying as viewers decide what they want to watch and program accordingly. The old question of, "Why do I have to get... QVC ..." is being addressed through streaming. There's no turning back.

As recently as 20 years ago, the four major television networks still were the dominant means of communicating with America. I wonder how much longer any of them can continue to exist in their current form. If ESPN is in trouble, what's next?