ESPN Profit Plummets As Network Turns Left

#176
#176
Orange&White said:
In my opinion it comes down to the increase in technology and the various ways people can access sports now. It's like MTV with music. You do not have to sit on your couch and watch ESPN to be informed about sports anymore. You can scroll through Twitter, instagram, Facebook, phone apps, etc. and know the information you want in seconds. And their shows are not that good. I do not want to watch hour long shows on repeat where people pointlessly argue with one another when I can just find out about my team and my interests instantly.

Also, there are so many streaming devices on the market that eliminate the need for cable like Sling, Roku, etc. But it still puzzles me that they are losing so many subscribers though. I keep them simply because I know I'll want to watch certain sporting events when ESPN broadcasts them.
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It's the politics baby.
 
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#177
#177
tennrich1 said:
This is EXACTLY why they're taken a HUGE hit. Call Target stores and ask what happens when you FORCE politically correct obsurdsness down people's throat. I NEVER watch or read anything associated with ESPN and only watch when UT is playing. I RARELY ever go to movies anymore because Hollywood not only has lost their mind but want me to lose my as well. Political correctness is not just offensive it's a DISEASE!!!!
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It's that like obtuse and absurd?
 
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#178
#178
bamawriter said:
Live sports is all I ever watch, and I'm not forced to do it. ESPN does a really good job, particularly with college football. There are a few commentators that I don't care for, but they are rarely bad enough to completely ruin the broadcast.
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I actually find their 30 for 30 series to be pretty good; and the weird thing is I find most of them to be pretty fair documentaries.
 
#179
#179
VolsSportsFan said:
I actually find their 30 for 30 series to be pretty good; and the weird thing is I find most of them to be pretty fair documentaries.
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You're right there. If the topic is interesting I'll watch those. They are almost always excellent.

Heck, their OJ doc just won an Oscar.
 
#181
#181
bamawriter said:
The fact that the ESPYs exist at all is more embarrassing than any of their chosen recipients.
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I don't have a problem with the ESPY's when they have a positive impact on a great deal of people and deal with real issues like Jimmy V, Stu Scott, Craig Sager and the poor women's college basketball player that passed away from a brain tumor (sadly played second fiddle to Caitlyn Jenner that night).
 
#182
#182
tennrich1 said:
This is EXACTLY why they're taken a HUGE hit. Call Target stores and ask what happens when you FORCE politically correct obsurdsness down people's throat. I NEVER watch or read anything associated with ESPN and only watch when UT is playing. I RARELY ever go to movies anymore because Hollywood not only has lost their mind but want me to lose my as well. Political correctness is not just offensive it's a DISEASE!!!!
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As a liberal millennial, some of their politics annoy me as well, but the main reason we are leaving in hordes is because there is no reason to pay $100/month for cable. Its not just ESPN, its every channel. We can get our sports/news/entertainment elsewhere for cheaper, and ESPN just happens to be the example because they are the biggest and most expensive, so they have the most to lose.
 
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#183
#183
RDU VOL#14 said:
I don't have a problem with the ESPY's when they have a positive impact on a great deal of people and deal with real issues like Jimmy V, Stu Scott, Craig Sager and the poor women's college basketball player that passed away from a brain tumor (sadly played second fiddle to Caitlyn Jenner that night).
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There are better ways to champion legitimate causes than wrapping them in an absurd sports "awards" show.
 
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#186
#186
volsack said:
As a liberal millennial, some of their politics annoy me as well, but the main reason we are leaving in hordes is because there is no reason to pay $100/month for cable. Its not just ESPN, its every channel. We can get our sports/news/entertainment elsewhere for cheaper, and ESPN just happens to be the example because they are the biggest and most expensive, so they have the most to lose.
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Most of the people I know ( no ALL of the people I know) have left ESPN for the aforementioned reason. I'm sure there's some in your category but obviously the vast reason is PC.,,no doubt about it. In fact I read a really interesting article on this very fact and predicted this about 5 years ago....others will follow the same fate, at least for a while....
 
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#187
#187
spikesglaring said:
More garbage from Clay Travis. They're losing viewers for a lot of reasons, but dragging politics into the mix is the moron reaching for something to write. If anything, ESPN has not really changed as much as the country is becoming more polarized and each side cannot stand to think they're getting the other sides view. Travis is as guilty of that as anyone. Twitter has been so much more bearable since unfollowing him.
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If this is based on a Clay Travis opinion, it isn't worth discussing. Nearly as bad as reacting to John Adams.

Next time you drive past a farm and see a horse lift it's tail, slam on your brakes and jump the fence to take in a whiff. It will only be half as ridiculous as reading Travis.
 
#188
#188
VolsSportsFan said:
It's still way more because of cord cutters; Travis mentions it like it's some small issue, but it's the main issue.
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You may be right, but I can only speak for me and others I've talked with. We used to watch a ton of ESPN - games, highlights, even PTI or Around the Horn was entertaining. Now I can only stomach an actual game or tournament.

I'm not a cord cutter, still have ESPN, just don't land there or stay there like I used to.
 
#190
#190
tennrich1 said:
Most of the people I know ( no ALL of the people I know) have left ESPN for the aforementioned reason. I'm sure there's some in your category but obviously the vast reason is PC.,,no doubt about it. In fact I read a really interesting article on this very fact and predicted this about 5 years ago....others will follow the same fate, at least for a while....
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So, you're telling me that every person you know is so sick of ESPN's liberal bias that they completely cut their entire cable/satellite packages? Every person you know is so mad at ESPN that they are no longer interested in watching any cable/satellite programming even if ESPN is in no way, shape, or form connected to the vast majority of said programming?
 
#192
#192
VolsSportsFan said:
It's still way more because of cord cutters; Travis mentions it like it's some small issue, but it's the main issue.
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Exactly. There are very few packages that don't offer ESPN. Also you can't JUST unsubscribe from espn only. You would have to drop the "sports package" as a whole. So if ESPN is losing subscribers then most networks are as well since people cut the cord.

Then they find other places to watch the games that they care about and just live without all the shows like SC.
 
#195
#195
lawgator1 said:
I haven't seen too much out and out political commentary (some). But I do think at least three things gave contributed. First, it seems to me that ESPN has been trading what they (mistakenly) think is gitchy commentary roundtables for, you know, actual sports.

If I want to see two guys yelling at each other about some minor issue on some irrelevant team, I'll just go to a sports bar and listen to random conversations. Otherwise, I want to see sports, not see people talking about sports.

Second, the rise of alternative sources of watching sports. 'nuff said.

Three, and I will take flack for this, it seems like there has been a concerted effort to increase the number of women commentators and reporters, and i don't think it is working like they hoped. Now this is not just an ESPN thing. Its Fox NFL, and every other sports network, as well.

Fact is, it is hard to put a lot of credibility into comments by a female reporter about her thoughts on two deep coverage, or safety blitzes, because they've never meaningfully played the game. I'd rather hear former players and coaches talk about that. Or a woman commentator going through stats about how effective an offensive line is -- I'm sorry, it doesn't work.
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I am bumping my own earlier post on this. I saw it again last night on ESPN, right after brackets came out. Male host asking female about her thoughts on UCLA and she made inane, generic comments about defense. It was obvious in 3 seconds she knew none of the players' names, or anything about the subject matter.

Just so tiresome.
 
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#196
#196
VolsSportsFan said:
I actually find their 30 for 30 series to be pretty good; and the weird thing is I find most of them to be pretty fair documentaries.
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I agree with this. I love the 30 for 30 series, even when it covers topics in which I have little interest.

Having said this, my least favorite by far was the Ernie & Bernie episode. I thought it had a political slant as well. The Knoxville police were made out to be driven entirely by race, and harrassed Bernard because of his skin color.

However, they neglected to tell the other side of the story. I really like Bernard, but he brought a lot of his issues on himself.
 
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#197
#197
Along with the Caitlyn Jenner thing, the Michael Sams coverage during the draft and subsequent kiss really turned me off to ESPN. I really don't care if you're gay or straight, just keep it out of my face please. I tuned in for draft coverage not to be inundated or conditioned to accept something that has been recognized in the Bible as something Unholy.

So here we are, do we go against something we have been told our whole lives or accept it for what it is?
 
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#198
#198
vfl_gbo said:
Along with the Caitlyn Jenner thing, the Michael Sams coverage during the draft and subsequent kiss really turned me off to ESPN. I really don't care if you're gay or straight, just keep it out of my face please. I tuned in for draft coverage not to be inundated or conditioned to accept something that has been recognized in the Bible as something Unholy.

So here we are, do we go against something we have been told our whole lives or accept it for what it is?
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Lmfao
 
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#200
#200
Grand Vol said:
You do have to admit they went pretty overboard with the Sams draft thing. Had he been a straight guy, he never would have gotten the media attention he did.
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Well, of course not... The narrative was about Sam being the first openly gay player in the draft and that's how it was covered.
 
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