ESPN preparing another round of layoffs

GindyDraws

I will not disable my Adblock, HF
Mar 13, 2014
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Woke is broke.

To be fair, their biggest personality is conservative, and a good portion of ESPN's personalities range the American political scale from moderate-right to conservative.

Problem is, sports is a form of escapism for pretty much every American, and it doesn't help when you got a network that looks at anything and goes "Is this political?", it sours your experience. You had a long day at work or at school, you wanna unwind and get ready for tonight's action... last thing you need is the real world being thrusted into your face.

Why else was Big Cat so mad at David Portnoy using Barstool as a platform to get a chance to speak to the president of the United States? That brand was built on the concept of being built by jocks, for jocks, and avoiding things that people don't care to talk about and has managed to overtake ESPN.
 
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Rabid Ranger

2 is better than one
Feb 27, 2002
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To be fair, their biggest personality is conservative, and a good portion of ESPN's personalities range the American political scale from moderate-right to conservative.

Problem is, sports is a form of escapism for pretty much every American, and it doesn't help when you got a network that looks at anything and goes "Is this political?", it sours your experience. You had a long day at work or at school, you wanna unwind and get ready for tonight's action... last thing you need is the real world being thrusted into your face.

Why else was Big Cat so mad at David Portnoy using Barstool as a platform to get a chance to speak to the president of the United States? That brand was built on the concept of being built by jocks, for jocks, and avoiding things that people don't care to talk about and has managed to overtake ESPN.

You're right. I was just looking for a snappy catch phrase.
 

S E P H

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To be fair, their biggest personality is conservative, and a good portion of ESPN's personalities range the American political scale from moderate-right to conservative.
It doesn't really matter which party anchors are affiliated with because only one consists of outspoken/loudmouths and that's the one which makes an "aura" around the entire network.
 

BigT2002

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If I were to read that tweet with any grain of salt, NBC or FOX would be stupid to not pick it up then. Especially NBC, who basically is holding onto hope for "sports talk" through Dan Patrick and Rich Eisen (both former HOF ESPN anchors) to make it look like they take sports seriously. Fox, just to give a finger to ABC.

However, I still think this would ONLY be because Disney doesn't want to keep shelling out what it cost to host games when they don't get the primary sports finals on the network, that is ESPN. ABC may...but ESPN is relegated when there is more than 1.
 
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Debrincat93

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I did Gary Thorne though.
loved thorne, but if they did move back to ESPN, most of us would want to see the old product and it wouldnt happen.

NHL2Night was fun, but it wont be the same.
Throne calling games was great, but it wont happen.

it would be 100% a watered-down product with cheap talent no one knows...
 
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Debrincat93

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i mean, i dont watch ESPN so any comment by me is just opinion and being a dick.. but ESPN had a fun "shtick" in the 00's that made it fun and worthwhile.

Now you have everyone entering the political dimensions, add that with sports, add that with always needing a click-baity segment.. it just doesnt work with 95% of sport fans.

Add in social media where you see the "top highlight" hours before they show it on sportscenter, and its going to be a dying entity.
 

Voight

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Feb 8, 2012
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If I were to read that tweet with any grain of salt, NBC or FOX would be stupid to not pick it up then. Especially NBC, who basically is holding onto hope for "sports talk" through Dan Patrick and Rich Eisen (both former HOF ESPN anchors) to make it look like they take sports seriously. Fox, just to give a finger to ABC.

However, I still think this would ONLY be because Disney doesn't want to keep shelling out what it cost to host games when they don't get the primary sports finals on the network, that is ESPN. ABC may...but ESPN is relegated when there is more than 1.

Fox picking it up to combine with FS could actually get a great move by them. Keep the good talent, get rid of the average and no longer have to engage in a bidding war for top talent vs ESPN.

Maybe ESPN would get sport finals if they presented games properly. A many have said, their presentation is often sub-par compared to the other major networks.
 
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golfortennis

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Oct 25, 2007
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If I were to read that tweet with any grain of salt, NBC or FOX would be stupid to not pick it up then. Especially NBC, who basically is holding onto hope for "sports talk" through Dan Patrick and Rich Eisen (both former HOF ESPN anchors) to make it look like they take sports seriously. Fox, just to give a finger to ABC.

However, I still think this would ONLY be because Disney doesn't want to keep shelling out what it cost to host games when they don't get the primary sports finals on the network, that is ESPN. ABC may...but ESPN is relegated when there is more than 1.

I'm not sure I follow. Other than some accounting, and changing signs/banners at venues, where does it matter to Disney if they have paid the rights fee, that the finals air on ABC or ESPN? Too much for rights fees, sure, but the cost savings of having "ESPN on ABC" as opposed to a separate "ABC Sports" are likely quite large.

I'm not sure Fox would give a finger to ABC given how Disney just bought a large number of their stations off them.
 

awfulwaffle

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Jun 20, 2011
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I miss the good old days of Sportscenter, where they nearly showed highlights from every game that happened the prior day. It was stricly a sports highlight show for the most part. I could get some highlights, see some quick stats from the scores, and move on to the next game. I felt like I knew more about what was going on around the entire league by watching ESPN than I do now.

It doesn't help since the pandemic hit, no sports to show, no viewership, less advertisements.

People can say what they want about politics and such, but the fact that there was a span of no sports, and then hockey/baseball/basketball all playing at the same time, doesn't help them spread out the sports that they normally would. Not to mention college football matchups aren't exactly too enticing considering there are a few conferences that are still not playing yet.
 

BigT2002

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Dec 6, 2006
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I'm not sure I follow. Other than some accounting, and changing signs/banners at venues, where does it matter to Disney if they have paid the rights fee, that the finals air on ABC or ESPN? Too much for rights fees, sure, but the cost savings of having "ESPN on ABC" as opposed to a separate "ABC Sports" are likely quite large.

I'm not sure Fox would give a finger to ABC given how Disney just bought a large number of their stations off them.

ABC is an antenna channel. So for many, this may be the only option for them to watch TV if they don't have cable. Whether it is cord cutters, the old couple, the bar down the street when the Dish Satellite goes out, OR the family that goes to their second home....it is very much a real thing still.

Your second point is why I said Fox would be giving them the finger. They basically just had to sell off everything to just to keep afloat to the mouse ears. Also, ESPN is basically what they're trying to replicate with FS1. Just kill all of that and put in place the actual giant and save yourself the time and effort. If it launches a new identity for ESPN and they prosper, it would look like a stupid move from Disney to cut ESPN from their lineup.
 

golfortennis

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Oct 25, 2007
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ABC is an antenna channel. So for many, this may be the only option for them to watch TV if they don't have cable. Whether it is cord cutters, the old couple, the bar down the street when the Dish Satellite goes out, OR the family that goes to their second home....it is very much a real thing still.

Your second point is why I said Fox would be giving them the finger. They basically just had to sell off everything to just to keep afloat to the mouse ears. Also, ESPN is basically what they're trying to replicate with FS1. Just kill all of that and put in place the actual giant and save yourself the time and effort. If it launches a new identity for ESPN and they prosper, it would look like a stupid move from Disney to cut ESPN from their lineup.

Sure, but they tend to put the biggest ones on ABC. And if they don't, it's usually because the ABC regular programming is a better ratings draw. I don't know how affiliates and stuff works, so maybe there is some kind of payment they avoid by keeping it on ESPN?

It was a forced sale? I apologize. I didn't realize they were selling out of need. Yes, I could see them giving the finger then.

As for a bad move..... I guess the synergies must not outweigh the losses from the rights fees. Don't forget as well Disney has a new CEO. He may not be the sports fan others are. Just because a company sells off a unit and it prospers doesn't mean it was a bad move. There are only so many resources within a company, and maybe they don't feel putting billions into rights fees for sporting events is the best use anymore, especially when things can get shutdown at a moment's notice. That is a thing people don't talk about, which is the precedent this has set. Now that it's been done it will be very easy to do it again at the first sign of something. Disney is a huge company, yes, but sports rights are still a huge check to write.

Plus if the carriers decide they can push back on the $8 per subscriber fee, ESPN will be in for a world of hurt much bigger than they are now. Maybe Disney is reading tea leaves.
 
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DoyleG

Reality sucks, Princesses!
Dec 29, 2008
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Indeed , the worst of which was MNF
A cable network has no business outbidding OTAs for something like this.

It wasn't as much being outbid but the fact that ABC didn't find MNF a profitable as it was in the past. Much of it had to do with the NFL focusing more on Sunday being the main day for football, as shown by the development of the NFL Network and NFL RedZone.

ABC thought it was pointless given that they could make more money off of its tv productions than they could off MNF.
 

DoyleG

Reality sucks, Princesses!
Dec 29, 2008
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If I were to read that tweet with any grain of salt, NBC or FOX would be stupid to not pick it up then. Especially NBC, who basically is holding onto hope for "sports talk" through Dan Patrick and Rich Eisen (both former HOF ESPN anchors) to make it look like they take sports seriously. Fox, just to give a finger to ABC.

However, I still think this would ONLY be because Disney doesn't want to keep shelling out what it cost to host games when they don't get the primary sports finals on the network, that is ESPN. ABC may...but ESPN is relegated when there is more than 1.

Or because Fox doesn't have to do such a thing. It was successful in getting the networks it wanted from the Nextstar/Tribune merger and basically now runs all the main affiliates connected to the NFC. They can easily recoup all the ad revenue they get from under that arrangement.

Everything they get from FS is a bonus, and there isn't really anything that ESPN can offer them.
 
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BigT2002

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Or because Fox doesn't have to do such a thing. It was successful in getting the networks it wanted from the Nextstar/Tribune merger and basically now runs all the main affiliates connected to the NFC. They can easily recoup all the ad revenue they get from under that arrangement.

Everything they get from FS is a bonus, and there isn't really anything that ESPN can offer them.

I'm a bigger fan of it going to NBC, if anyone, to be honest. I think it truly accredits NBC as the sports broadcasting network by doing it. But that is just me.
 

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