Why ESPN is Failing

[capitalcityguy]

Combo of people cutting the cord along with alienating a majority of their audience with a real or perceived left leaning bias.

 

[ZB4CY]

ESPN is awful. Everything about it is awful except for that fact that they play NCAA basketball and football games. I personally have switched over to Fox Sports.. although I HATE Skip Bayless but no one watches his show anyway on the network. Not that I enjoy Colin Cowherd either, but I do tend to enjoy his show and the guests he has.

 

[Cyclonepride]

You certainly don't do something like that without the woman's consent, and you don't do that even with her consent if you're Ezekiel Elliot and have had past issues.

 

[ruxCYtable]

ESPN is garbage. I can remember a time where I'd rarely turn anything else on. Now, unless it's coverage of an event I want to watch, I avoid it at all costs.

Yep. In my 20s almost every TV I owned was permanently tuned to ESPN. Now, not so much.

 

[CYphyllis]

ESPN is doing their 24 hour special on the NCAA tournament right now and First Take is supposed to be doing it. They've been talking about Ezekiel Elliot pulling down some woman's shirt at a St Patrick's Day parade. The woman didn't even care. Why can they not talk about anything other than Pro sports specifically the NFL?

That feels contradictory.

 

[3GenClone]

Here is a fantastic article from Deadspin, from almost 4 years ago, that breaks down how ESPN is guilty of generating bogus headlines that they perpetuate as news:

http://deadspin.com/how-espn-manufactures-a-story-colin-kaepernick-edition-1185400028/1189787327

Step 1: Ron Jaworski goes on SportsCenter Wednesday at a little after noon and says something absolutely ridiculous: "I truly believe Colin Kaepernick could be one of the greatest quarterbacks ever."

Step 2: SportsCenter replays that clip less than an hour later. "Strong words from Jaws!"

Step 3: A reporter at 49ers camp asks Colin Kaepernick, "Ron Jaworski said today he thought you could be the greatest quarterback of all-time, the best quarterback ever. How do you deal with praise and stuff in this off-season and what not?" That full question—and Kaepernick's response—are later broadcast on SportsCenter.

Step 4: Steve Levy goes on the 11 p.m. SportsCenter and talks about what Jaworski had to say.

Step 5: Steve Young comes on SportsCenter to do a spot on Jaws's opinion.

Step 6: San Francisco's ABC affiliate does a segment dedicated to it. ABC and ESPN are both owned by Disney.

Step 7: SportsCenter replays Jaws's hot take several times overnight. SportsCenter anchor Jonathan Coachman reports that Kaepernick is "humbly appreciative of all this greatest-ever talk." All this greatest-ever talk.

Step 8: The AP writes up a story about Jaworski's take. (So does SI.)


Step 9: ESPN picks up the AP story.

Step 10: ESPN puts the AP story on the front page of ESPN.com with the headline, "Jaworski praises Colin Kaepernick."


Step 11: ESPN Radio's Mike Golic plays the clip and dedicates one of his first segments to it on Thursday morning.

Step 12: A topic for the morning SportsCenter. "Jaws made a little bit of news yesterday!" Jaworski comes on with Adam Schefter to talk about what he said. And then Jaworski says that Kaepernick answered the question—that is, a question from the reporter about Jaworski's take—perfectly.

Step 13: Jaws goes on another edition of SportsCenter. "I'm going to stick to what I said!" he said, laughing hysterically.


Step 14: Jaworski goes on First Take to talk about it with Skip Bayless. "You put it on Tebow," Jaworski tells him.

 

[67CY]

I get tired of the smart ass reporters or whatever they are like the jerk that used to work at WHO

 

[KnappShack]

The Sports Bubble is hurting ESPN, a lot, but one of the big factors in their demise is the death of SportsCenter. No one needs ESPN to give them highlights any more. You get them instantly off of twitter and other social media. And while that was never making them tons of money, it attracted talent to the network and made loyal fans everywhere. I remember when I was in college, my roommates and I would try and watch SC every night during football and basketball season. It was appointment TV. Now it's the same clips you see everywhere and ESPN has to insert sports "highlights" from games that ESPN networks carry just to pimp themselves.

Add in the cost of carrying sports programming going through the roof and ESPN is pretty much doomed.

Now the only thing they have to offer are discussion shows which only get attention when Stephen A or some other personality blows up and says something ridiculous.

Weather Channel is also dying because technology passed them by. Who waits for the weather on the 8s now? Smart phone app gives me everything right now.

F-ESPN

 

[State43]

The Sports Bubble is hurting ESPN, a lot, but one of the big factors in their demise is the death of SportsCenter. No one needs ESPN to give them highlights any more. You get them instantly off of twitter and other social media. And while that was never making them tons of money, it attracted talent to the network and made loyal fans everywhere. I remember when I was in college, my roommates and I would try and watch SC every night during football and basketball season. It was appointment TV. Now it's the same clips you see everywhere and ESPN has to insert sports "highlights" from games that ESPN networks carry just to pimp themselves.

Add in the cost of carrying sports programming going through the roof and ESPN is pretty much doomed.

Now the only thing they have to offer are discussion shows which only get attention when Stephen A or some other personality blows up and says something ridiculous.

To a point, but there is a marketing and money making technique to clicks, internet highlight videos, etc where revenue can be generated. It was the bubble of ever expanding programming costs and package tv deals where eventually it just isn't sustainable because less and less people will pay for it.

 

[Judoka]

Bad news will be for college sports - the TV contracts are not going to grow and they may come backwards. For schools that are financing expansions based on growing revenue will be in a ton of hurt.

While I agree with you in general on that I think ISU will be an overall winner when the bubble bursts as long as they can stay in a premier conference up to that point - ISU's negatives are all stuff that are only negatives because of being in a small TV market. If that's no longer the driving factor then ISU is suddenly a much more attractive conference member.

 

[KnappShack]

Combo of people cutting the cord along with alienating a majority of their audience with a real or perceived left leaning bias.

All that Tebow coverage sure is left leaning. Pinko liberal Tebow

 

[RoseClone]

Yeah ESPN is not what it used to be.

That "ESPN 6" show with Jamele Hill and Michael Smith is... not good. Basically just those two going over talking points which are not even related to sports. It is unwatchable. Much prefer they just show highlights of the days sports games.

The promos for "ESPN 6" do it no favors with me. I can't see me ever watching a second of that show.

 

[Rabbuk]

My best friend who is black just kind of shakes his head at those Sportscenter 6 promos. He finds them so offensive.

 

[Judoka]

People still watch ESPN outside of live sports??

People still watch broadcast TV outside of live sports?

 

[AllInForISU]

I haven't listened to the dude much but I have heard enough to know that the minute they can him he will be in the media and a probable lawsuit contending that it was entirely racially motivated.

You think that will be bad? Jemele Hill is one of the biggest race baiters at ESPN. That will probably turn into a **** show. I have disliked her ever since she said something along the lines of Vince Young didn't get a fair shake because he was black. No, he just didn't stick around because he was lazy and wasn't very good in the NFL.

Edit: here is the article. I slightly misremembered but still, atrocious, race baiting crap. http://www.espn.com/espn/commentary/news/story?page=hill/101123

 

[MeowingCows]

ESPN is failing because of cord cutting, not because of talking too much NFL

Yep. Video killed the radio star, internet will kill the video star.

 

[brianhos]

It will be interesting to see which is the first conference to offer their entire package via streaming. That will be the end for ESPN (and my DirecTV bill.)

 

[carvers4math]

You certainly don't do something like that without the woman's consent, and you don't do that even with her consent if you're Ezekiel Elliot and have had past issues.

Yea, I am having a hard time understanding how anyone thinks that is ok.

 

[knowlesjam]

While I agree with you in general on that I think ISU will be an overall winner when the bubble bursts as long as they can stay in a premier conference up to that point - ISU's negatives are all stuff that are only negatives because of being in a small TV market. If that's no longer the driving factor then ISU is suddenly a much more attractive conference member.

I think that what happens with Iowa State football and Coach Campbell over the next 3-5 years is incredibly important to where we end up. Continued mediocrity along with basketball success doesn't sell unless you are Kansas. Become relevant at football with continued basketball success will improve our chances considerably. Our AD realizes this and seems to be pulling out the stops to obtain (wrestling is the latest move) a better position if/when the $'s start to dry up and the conference re-org happens (2022-2024).

 

[Macloney]

Yep. In my 20s almost every TV I owned was permanently tuned to ESPN. Now, not so much.

That's it right there.

All of us used to watch ESPN when we were younger. ESPN still tries to cater to the 18-30 year old crowd by using the most current sayings and trying to look cool. The problem with this is that the 18-30 year olds are the cord cutters. The group they should be catering to, the people who pay for cable, just aren't watching anymore.

Also, MLB network is leaps and bounds ahead of them in terms of programming and with their exclusive content, it's like another nail.