Disney looking for "strategic partner" for ESPN, sell TV networks

[MMC]

Click to read more...

 

[KevFu]

While the sports media, TV and streaming world is a huge mess as the industry tries to figure things out...

What this means for the future of the industry needs to be taken with a grain of salt.

Iger is a clueless dinosaur. He's a POWERFUL clueless dinosaur that can make decisions that affect ESPN and the industry as a whole, but that doesn't mean what he says is indicative of where the industry SHOULD go.

 

[WarriorofTime]

Disney wants to divest ESPN entirely. No doubt.

 

[Poppy Whoa Sonnet]

God selling sports media to sportsbooks and Saudi Arabian sportswashing investors...how depressing.

 

[DaBadGuy7]

After Bob Iger’s comments to CNBC on possibly selling off cable and broadcast networks, speculation is that Comcast might be in play for ESPN:

 

[MMC]

 

[SJSharksfan39]

Will this hopefully end the NHL Partnership with ESPN early? That would be nice.

What would be nice is the NHL come into the 21st century and actually carry the NHL Out of Market Package on it's own website rather than be the cheap bastards that they are.

 

[Voight]

Will this hopefully end the NHL Partnership with ESPN early? That would be nice.

What would be nice is the NHL come into the 21st century and actually carry the NHL Out of Market Package on it's own website rather than be the cheap bastards that they are.

I doubt it. The cost to ESPN would be enormous.

If they limit NFL/NBA/MLB/NHL to a minority stake then they shouldn't have any problems. It would allow them to claim they have journalistic independence.

Also FWIW based on this article from a year ago ESPN has benefitted very well from their partnership.

ESPN's NHL Deal Leads to Higher Viewership, More Subscribers

Viewership for the NHL's playoffs jumped 30% from last year's average on NBC to an average of 1.1 million this season on ESPN.

frontofficesports.com

 

[DaBadGuy7]

 

[MMC]

 

[Spydey629]

While the sports media, TV and streaming world is a huge mess as the industry tries to figure things out...

What this means for the future of the industry needs to be taken with a grain of salt.

Iger is a clueless dinosaur. He's a POWERFUL clueless dinosaur that can make decisions that affect ESPN and the industry as a whole, but that doesn't mean what he says is indicative of where the industry SHOULD go.

I finally watched the Mighty Ducks E:60 documentary last week. With all of the interview time with Michael Eisner, all I could think was the one question I would love to ask:

If you were back in charge, what would you do?

Disney as a whole is so vastly different from when he left.

 

[DaBadGuy7]

 

[MMC]

 

[DaBadGuy7]

 

[tucker3434]

I think they would make sense as a partner. I would be surprised if they wanted to buy the whole thing as-is. While Apple is doing a good job broadcasting games, I’m not sure they’d want to try to fill 5 cable networks with 24 hours of content per day up to Apple’s standards.

But buying a stake and then integrating ESPN dtc content with AppleTV and iOS could be mutually beneficial. It’s a change I’d definitely welcome.

 

[SJSharksfan39]

I would love to see Apple as the NHL partner rather than ESPN. I still want Apple to buy Star Trek from Paramount so this Disney thing is a little concerning, but I don't want them to become too large where they have a monopoly on everything.

 

[FriendlyGhost92]

I'm cool with anything that gets us away from:

Leah Hextall: (In a bedtime story voice) "And he takes and down and... Wow, he scores. And that will end the series in Triple Overtime."

*Shows celebration and makes it halfway through the handshake line.*

Leah: "And now we'll send you to the studio with Scott Van Pelt."

Scott Van Pelt Mumbles: "Thank God that shit is over. Anyways, here's NBA highlights!"

 

[SJSharksfan39]

I'm cool with anything that gets us away from:

Leah Hextall: (In a bedtime story voice) "And he takes and down and... Wow, he scores. And that will end the series in Triple Overtime. And now we'll send it to the studio with Scott Van Pelt."

Scott Van Pelt: "Thank God that shit is over. Anyways, here's NBA highlights!"

Isn't SVP going to leave soon?

 

[FriendlyGhost92]

Isn't SVP going to leave soon?

No idea. The voice doesn't matter, the treatment will be the same.

 

[DaBadGuy7]

 

[tucker3434]

Ugh. Please not Amazon. They are phenomenal at getting me my orders almost before I click submit, but when it comes to their music/streaming, they are entirely mediocre.

 

[Sparty]

This would be a nightmare for lots of SEC fans I feel like. In some of those states, there's just not highspeed internet available in lots of areas.

 

[tucker3434]

This would be a nightmare for lots of SEC fans I feel like. In some of those states, there's just not highspeed internet available in lots of areas.

Man, it’s 2023. We’ve got internet, indoor plumbing, electricity, whole 9 yards.

 

[Primary Assist]

5G solves that issue. Of course, that's also the part of the country where people don't trust 5G...

 

[My3Sons]

Man, it’s 2023. We’ve got internet, indoor plumbing, electricity, whole 9 yards.

Maybe in Atlanta. When was the last time you visited LSU?