ESPN subscriber collapse/ratings

[tpstulane]

Is ESPN next?

[anEngineer]

Sports streaming is going to exist and be the way that most sporting events are viewed. It's just a matter of whose model survives and how many are included. ESPN certainly has the upper hand at this point, but the eventual model may or may not have been discovered yet.

[winwave]

Just a talking heads opinion. One major thing he leaves out is the advertising dollars that ESPN gets for its broadcasts that streaming services don't.

[HoustonWave]

What about the possibility that Sinclair/Bally was simply mismanaged. As soon as they were "given" the Fox Regional networks by the DOJ, they immediately went to war with some of the cable/satellite distributors and pulled their product--never to be seen again. Considering they are now bankrupt, maybe that wasn't such a good idea.
Not that ESPN isn't capable of poor management decisions, but if this guy is right about how all the revenues will be less in the streaming world, why will they move to streaming. While many thought streaming was the certain future, the ensuing streaming failures say otherwise--so if that's the case I don't see why there will be a mass movement to streaming. Last time I saw a ratings of network shows, about 16 out of the top 20 were live sports events. Rather than moving all that to streaming, maybe they just need to stop overpaying for media rights--perhaps that's what Kliavkoff and the PAC are starting to run into.

[tpstulane]

What about the possibility that Sinclair/Bally was simply mismanaged. As soon as they were "given" the Fox Regional networks by the DOJ, they immediately went to war with some of the cable/satellite distributors and pulled their product--never to be seen again. Considering they are now bankrupt, maybe that wasn't such a good idea.
Not that ESPN isn't capable of poor management decisions, but if this guy is right about how all the revenues will be less in the streaming world, why will they move to streaming. While many thought streaming was the certain future, the ensuing streaming failures say otherwise--so if that's the case I don't see why there will be a mass movement to streaming. Last time I saw a ratings of network shows, about 16 out of the top 20 were live sports events. Rather than moving all that to streaming, maybe they just need to stop overpaying for media rights--perhaps that's what Kliavkoff and the PAC are starting to run into.

That’s the answer instead they will try and raise subscribers rates.

[Dave breslin]

Kind of shadowing the college sports scene with the realignment of conferences. The ones that are managed well will survive. The others are doomed to die on the vine

[Aberzombie1892]

Kind of shadowing the college sports scene with the realignment of conferences. The ones that are managed well will survive. The others are doomed to die on the vine

Well, it's what is driving consolidation. After this round of realignment, the B1G and SEC will be almost as valuable as NFL to media partners while the remaining "power" conferences will be also rans. The scary part is what will happen to the G5 conferences in terms of media payouts if the main media players lose interest in their inventory - which could be a real issue if the B1G and SEC move to 20 teams (and thereby having more than enough inventory).

[tpstulane]

Disney looking to partner or dump ESPN
https://www.cnbc.com/2023/07/13/disney- ... ssets.html

Cable-TV channel ESPN is in a different bucket, however. On that front, Iger said Disney is open to finding a strategic partner, which could take the form of a joint venture or offloading an ownership stake.

Iger said when he had left the company he had predicted the future of traditional TV and had been “very pessimistic,” and has found since his return that he was right in his thinking, adding it’s worse than he expected.

[anEngineer]

It fits in with the discussion on this site a few days ago about the potential of Apple buying ESPN and getting into the sports streaming business.

[tpstulane]

It fits in with the discussion on this site a few days ago about the potential of Apple buying ESPN and getting into the sports streaming business.

Yes indeed. Someone will partner up. Amazon, Apple or Google probably.

[HoustonWave]

It fits in with the discussion on this site a few days ago about the potential of Apple buying ESPN and getting into the sports streaming business.

Yes indeed. Someone will partner up. Amazon, Apple or Google probably.

And whoever does will immediately inherit all of ESPN's college football media contracts--possibly at an effective cost well below what it is costing ESPN/Disney. The question then becomes "will one or both of the other two decide they also need to jump into the college football media world, and take the first step by bailing out the PAC?" And in addition to Amazon, Apple and Google, don't forget the Saudis. It's always amazed me how people and organizations with a great deal of money always seem to migrate to making poor decisions about how to use that money.

[tpstulane]

It fits in with the discussion on this site a few days ago about the potential of Apple buying ESPN and getting into the sports streaming business.

Yes indeed. Someone will partner up. Amazon, Apple or Google probably.

And whoever does will immediately inherit all of ESPN's college football media contracts--possibly at an effective cost well below what it is costing ESPN/Disney. The question then becomes "will one or both of the other two decide they also need to jump into the college football media world, and take the first step by bailing out the PAC?" And in addition to Amazon, Apple and Google, don't forget the Saudis. It's always amazed me how people and organizations with a great deal of money always seem to migrate to making poor decisions about how to use that money.

True. I heard they going after Pro Tennis next though.

[tpstulane]

Disney demanding more money from Spectrum for its ESPN package. Spectrum not agreeing so ESPN is now off the air on all of Spectrum’s networks nationwide.
https://www.syracuse.com/entertainment/ ... isney.html

The nation’s second-largest cable TV provider has lost multiple Disney-owned channels due to a contract dispute.

ESPN, FX, Freeform, the Disney Channel and a handful of ABC channels went dark for Spectrum subscribers Thursday after Charter Communications and Disney Entertainment failed to reach a new carriage agreement. Some 14.7 million subscribers are affected, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

“The Walt Disney Company has removed their programming from Spectrum which creates hardship for our customers,” Spectrum said in a statement. “We offered Disney a fair deal, yet they are demanding an excessive increase... The rising cost of programming is the single greatest factor in higher cable TV prices, and we are fighting hard to hold the line on programming rates imposed on us by companies like Disney.”

[tpstulane]

Best explanation yet of ESPN’s future
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT82eNsWm/