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Down Fall Of ESPN

J

JuiceJS

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Short 12:00 minute YouTube documentary explains some things on financially what the issues are.

https://youtu.be/bt-4PbhpGYE

I don't agree with the beginning part they ESPN (or other networks) fell the "need" to analyze everything and give sports breakdown/opinions except during certain shows.

The biggest show for ESPN during the 90's and forward was Sportscenter. The biggest draw to that was highlights from ALL games of the day. I feel that show needs to get back to basics. Quit with the analyzing everything, add more highlights and certainly show something from every game, match, etc. and leave all the analyzing to the specific shows throughout the day. Nothing worse than 1 hour of show spending 45 minutes on 3 big market teams.

Some of this I was unaware of. I didn't realize ESPN networks cost more than other channels in a cable/satellite subscription.
 

The blatant East coast bias made it unwatchable. The old CNN sports with Nick Charles and Fred Hickman was far superior IMO.
 
Top Cat said:
The blatant East coast bias made it unwatchable. The old CNN sports with Nick Charles and Fred Hickman was far superior IMO.
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Not sure what you mean by east coast bias. They cover everything that is LA no matter how bad some of those teams are. I know NY, Chicago and Boston get their coverage too.

Then the just fan favorite teams like Dallas.

I didn't recognize either names, but looking them up, nick Charles wasn't with ESPN, so this would be more a reference to all sports coverage (although I've never really considered CNN a sports coverage station).

Fred Hickman was there from 04-08. I'd say he was onboard at the beginning of the downfall. I can't pinpoint an exact date because it's been gradual, but I think it started in the late 90's early 2000's. I reached unwatchable levels somewhere around 2010 to me.
 
ESPN use to have no competition, now it does.
I watch,First Take every day.
Love Steven A,would like to see Max replaced by Will Kane.
 

Then you missed two of the very best. They were together for almost 20 years.

 
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IMO 2 big problems with ESPN.

1) they've spent way too much on sports packages/contracts. 2) Sportscenter is unwatchable now. They've turned it into a variety show. I use to love watching Sportscenter. I'd watch it every morning for the sports news and highlights. Now it seems like SC is about everything but sports news and highlights.

I don't even have it anymore. I have the cheapest, basic DirecTV package, no ESPN. And I don't miss it.
 
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It's too crowded of a market. ESPN is irrelevant now. In a couple years, Fox1 (or whatever it's called) will be on the block next.

You want baseball news? MLB Channel
Football? NFL Channel
Hockey? NHL Channel
Thugball...er...Basketball? NBA Channel.

Hell, even ESPN's crown jewel, Sunday Night Baseball, is horrendous. Don't wanna watch Yankees v. Red Sox? Tough. That's 75% of their schedule, Sucko. Then there's having to endure [overly vanilla, middle of the road, devoid of any real excitement play-by-play guy] and [token minority latino woman] call games that make you wish Joe Buck and Tim McCarver were there instead.
 

The internet killed ESPN TV. I still visit their website, but I never tune their TV station in, not even when bored in a hotel room. I do however watch back to back Law and Order episodes or Forensic Files.
 
I said many times as a share holder of twtr, disney would be wise in buying twitter. Twitter is a perfect sm platform for sports.

If twtr could be somewhat policed and run by the right people you could see it more popular than fb and definitely snap.

The owner of twtr runs two traded companies. I dont believe that is wise.
 

I'm sure he will be calling you for advice very soon. :roll:
 
Steele and Negandhi taking over 6:00PM SportsCenter marks, I hope, a return to a sports focus.
 
Mizzy22 said:
ESPN use to have no competition, now it does.
I watch,First Take every day.
Love Steven A,would like to see Max replaced by Will Kane.
Click to expand...

Max is ultra liberal and at times bugs me...
 
Velvet Elvis said:
Thugball...er...Basketball
Click to expand...

Why? On and off the field, before and during professional years, basketball players are angels compared to football.
 
I think the biggest issue for ESPN was their decision to drift so heavily into social commentary. I don't need sportscasters telling me what they think about the social justice topic de jour, and I certainly don't make time in my day to sit through it.
 
ESPN was first and for a long time there were no viable competitors. Now you can't shake a tree that a sports show/network doesn't fall out. The NFL also soured on ESPN riding their coattails and making the revenues they were. The NFL alone is packaging their product in a few different ways, NFL Network, Red Zone, NFL Draft..............over-saturation, imo
 
ecofarm said:
Why? On and off the field, before and during professional years, basketball players are angels compared to football.
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I'll give you that. Football players have become a LOT worse in the past 15-20 years.
 
Two irritants:

1. ESPN's incessant, stupid focus on Tiger Woods in their PGA coverage.
2. ESPN's mistaken assumption that the rest of the country is enthralled by the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry.
 

ESPN TV sucks. It's website isn't half bad though.
 
Jack Hays said:
Steele and Negandhi taking over 6:00PM SportsCenter marks, I hope, a return to a sports focus.
Click to expand...

Return to a sports focus and leave the SJW & politics behind. Yup. That might save them.
 
Jack Hays said:
Two irritants:

1. ESPN's incessant, stupid focus on Tiger Woods in their PGA coverage.
2. ESPN's mistaken assumption that the rest of the country is enthralled by the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry.
Click to expand...

Overblown draft coverage; too much LeBron; too many baseball games; not nearly enough hockey discussion; way too much sensitivity training; Brian Windhurst; Mike Greenburg, and all the other self-important morons with way too much facetime.
 
calamity said:
Overblown draft coverage; too much LeBron; too many baseball games; not nearly enough hockey discussion; way too much sensitivity training; Brian Windhurst; Mike Greenburg, and all the other self-important morons with way too much facetime.
Click to expand...

Different strokes . . . .

1. I don't know how many baseball games would be too many.
2. Any hockey discussion is too much.

:mrgreen:
 

Back in the day, SportsCenter was about the only way to catch highlights. Now you just have to wait for the video to be uploaded.

Stats, same thing. There's more stats available online than you can shake a stick at.
 
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