Posted on 04/02/2017 9:41:32 AM PDT by blam
As reported extensively by Breitbart News, ESPN has suffered severe losses in cable subscriptions over the last few years, the repercussion of which will rear its ugly head in the form of significant cutting of on-air talent in the near future. According to comments made Thursday by ESPN’s Jim Miller on SI Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch, dozens of employees will soon join the unemployment lines.
“The way that I’ve heard it—and I’ve kind of run the numbers on it, I think we’re looking at between 40 and 50 people,” Miller said. “And look, there’s a lot of uncertainty about who it’s gonna be and why. Remember, this is not quantum physics, so it’s not an exact equation.”
The plight of ESPN is no trivial matter for entertainment giant Disney, the parent company for the “Worldwide leader in sports entertainment.” In February, The Wrap reported, “Cable networks, particularly ESPN, have been an albatross on Disney’s stock price even as the company’s two other major prongs, movies, and theme parks, continue to perform well.
“As cheaper TV alternatives began to proliferate, ESPN hemorrhaged subscribers during the course of 2016 and is now at less than 88 million, compared with a peak of 100.1 million in 2011. At an estimated $7 per subscriber, that dip has been a substantial hit to Disney, especially considering media networks made up 49 percent of Disney’s profits during fiscal 2016.”
Miller presented a potential revised line up for the beleaguered network:
(snip)
(Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ...
significant cutting of on-air talent
Talent???
The writers at Breitbart been hittin the pipe too much lately??
Winning.
“They’ve decided they would rather do LIBERAL politics than sports.”
That won’t change. The parent company will continue to expect politically-correct leftism in every broadcast. With leftists ideology supersedes good business practice. Even Disney’s profitable businesses, such as their Pixar movies, are teeming with PC themes, plots and scripts. A lot of parents just countenance this as there aren’t many other options.
Funny how alienating HALF of your viewing audience would result in this!
“I don’t get it!” ~ Every Socialist Everywhere ;)
Google “sexual harassment” at ESPN and you will. Find lots of names, past and present
Yet the enemedia wanted to write about Bill O’R
Apparently, he is not familiar with the uncertainty principle.
If ESPN was run by Bill Belichek, he would fire all but one or two of them and replace them with recent grads who would do a decent job, and ESPN would do just as well or better.
Considering their politics I doubt they will be smart enough to pick up on the fact that when you go left, you go out of business. Or is it they are going out of business they go left. Which comes first, the chicken or the egg?
Liberal elite frat boys talking down to Americans... Yeah, who wouldn’t want to watch that? /s /s /s /s
significant cutting of on-air talent...
That would be impossible :)
Wasn’t there a posting a few months back quoting a big shot at ESPN saying they needed to get the politics out of their broadcasts?
You know, IIRC, one of John McInsane’s little pet projects in the early 90s, before he COMPLETELY lost his mind, was an attempt to create “ala carte” for the cable consumer....that is, allow the consumer to CHOOSE which channels he paid for instead of being force fed a pre-arranged bundle.
If I remember correctly, it would be nice to see President Trump work with McInsane to make that a reality. Then the cable kooks would be more responsive to viewers.
I somewhat liked Skip Bayless, especially his pro Tebow rants, but I can’t stand that Max Kellerman.
He is such an insufferable, pc wuss.
C'mon...
That would be like MTV not doing music or something...
“I don’t get it!” ~ Every Socialist Everywhere ;)
Only explanation is defectors must be racist.
** yawwwwwnnn **
I know that's the preferred narrative on FR, but it is a Free Republic urban legend. All sports providers are losing subscribers including Fox Sports. There is a secular decline in the sports broadcasting sector. It has virtually nothing to do with politics.
They still have 5 years left on their $1.9 billion/year contract for Monday Night Football. Over $100 million per game. It should be interesting when that contact and the other networks’ get renegotiated. The NFL and its players will have to live on less.
The marketplace will make this a reality before any politician does.
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