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They need cut 100 channels while they're at it. ESPNs downfall will be the over-saturation of something people get very fickle about - sports. Everyone's cable bill will be happier when it's back to only ESPN and monster trucking on friday nights.
As a "millenial" (1986), my interest in sports has been declining a little bit each year since my mid-twenties. When you're a 12-year old kid, it's cool to look up to famous sports stars and imitate their moves on the court or the field. Nowadays, it's hard to care outside of my favorite team. It's cool to watch your heros, no matter how flawed they are in their personal lives. Nowadays, I can respect the latest first-round draft pick and his talent, but there's no awe in watching a 270 lb dude with a six-pack that could stay within a couple of arms lengths of Usain Bolt. It's cool, but it's not really magical. I'm older and the athletes are younger. Probably akin to going to a high school football game despite not having any kids or relatives in the game.
I've almost completely stopped watching college sports and pro sports are headed in the same direction, though I'm still a pretty strong Cowboys fan.
I felt badly for Pierre LeBrun and Scott Burnside-the heart and soul of ESPN's NHL coverage, but Pierre has already found something, and I suspect that Scott will, too.
I haven't had cable for many years, and I honestly don't miss. I barely watch TV anymore, anyway.
Bummed about Jaymee Sire (Sportscenter AM). She's well spoken, has a good sports IQ, is very attractive and has great on-air chemistry with her co-anchors....though I'm sure she'll land a good gig somewhere else.
Disney's big pain point has been ESPN (Disney owns ESPN). With all generations cutting the cord on cable, as it becomes sensible to spend less to get ala carte selections wanted vs a couple of options of what you have to buy that may include what you want. Cable's become a handicapped area for content development, just as ESPN's been turning everything into a sport to be watched on TV.
Personally, I think MLB and the NFL were short-sighted in making so many of the games premium content. They have no chance at catching the younger generations when they are deciding what their interests are. Interest levels in even participatory sports seem to be much less than they were a generation or two ago.
How big of a problem is it to Disney? Well, remember when Star Wars shattered the recordbooks for opening weekend gross? The stock still fell the following opening as ESPN issues overshadowed it. Yet to keep their contracts with the leagues, they need a paid service. Cuts are likely only starting.
The primary driver of ESPN's downfall is definitely cord cutting and the ability of following sports through different mediums. ESPN was the greatest thing in the 90s. All you had was them and one sports talk radio station around to get all of your news. However as society has evolved with all these technological advances, we've become too impatient and need that sports information on demand. It's not just ESPN, people can't spend too much time on anything these days, with so much new information flowing through online every second.
However you can't be blind to the fact that politics also plays a part. If you're not a liberal, why on Earth would you stomach Jemile Hill trying to lecture you on how to feel about issues in the real world. Just like MTV with music, ESPN slowly moved away from a sports channel to a package that wasn't necessarily popular. It also doesn't help that they're dominated in every area of sports expertise. For example, this weekend with the NFL draft. Mel Kiper is yesterday's news and Mike Mayok is by far the more superior NFL draft analyst. Rich Eisen, former ESPN guy has also turned into an extremely solid anchor in these telecasts. They even kill it with the former players as Steve Smith was spot on last night.
I want to say I'll only really watch it these days for college hoops but Dicky V and Bill Walton can be tough to stomach through these telecasts. Something like the PBA tour, might be my last hope.
The primary driver of ESPN's downfall is definitely cord cutting and the ability of following sports through different mediums. ESPN was the greatest thing in the 90s. All you had was them and one sports talk radio station around to get all of your news. However as society has evolved with all these technological advances, we've become too impatient and need that sports information on demand. It's not just ESPN, people can't spend too much time on anything these days, with so much new information flowing through online every second.
However you can't be blind to the fact that politics also plays a part. If you're not a liberal, why on Earth would you stomach Jemile Hill trying to lecture you on how to feel about issues in the real world. Just like MTV with music, ESPN slowly moved away from a sports channel to a package that wasn't necessarily popular. It also doesn't help that they're dominated in every area of sports expertise. For example, this weekend with the NFL draft. Mel Kiper is yesterday's news and Mike Mayok is by far the more superior NFL draft analyst. Rich Eisen, former ESPN guy has also turned into an extremely solid anchor in these telecasts. They even kill it with the former players as Steve Smith was spot on last night.
I want to say I'll only really watch it these days for college hoops but Dicky V and Bill Walton can be tough to stomach through these telecasts. Something like the PBA tour, might be my last hope.
It was so many people on Twitter who was upset Jemele wasn't on the layoff list.
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