ESPN Hemorrhaging

[Pharm Frog]

http://deadspin.com/espn-is-hemorrhaging-subscribers-and-pretending-it-does-1788618362
 
ESPN is doing a very bad job of pretending it isn’t deathly afraid of rapidly declining subscriber numbers. At the end of October, Nielsen released its monthly television subscriber numbers report, and it showed a loss of 621,000 subscribers for ESPN and similar losses for ESPN2 and ESPNU. Other networks, like Spike TV, lost over a million subscribers, and ESPN’s nominal competitor, FS1, lost 355,000.

 

[steelfrog]

Streaming is taking everything over. Not just sports. All entertainment

 

[Pharm Frog]

Streaming is taking everything over. Not just sports. All entertainment

 
And could be an important factor in conference alignments

 

[Bob]

Streaming is fun. Just don't do it into the wind.

 

[RollToad]

Sucks that FS1 is losing as well. I was hoping it was just ESPN because I hate them.

 

[stbrab]

Streaming is taking everything over. Not just sports. All entertainment

I listened to an interview with Bowlsby on XM 84's the First Team about a week or so ago. He specifically referred to streaming services and other forms of media that may take the place of current formats of the college football TV contracts.

 

[Zubaz]

Sucks that FS1 is losing as well. I was hoping it was just ESPN because I hate them.

ESPN is doing better than most because they have live content that's behind licensing agreements and is some DVR-proof. Conversely, they pay quite a bit for that content. See the numbers for more traditional entertainment networks like TNT, USA, Spike, TBS and it's much more dire.

 

[FBallFan123]

ESPN is doing better than most because they have live content that's behind licensing agreements and is some DVR-proof. Conversely, they pay quite a bit for that content. See the numbers for more traditional entertainment networks like TNT, USA, Spike, TBS and it's much more dire.

ESPN may feel the loss more tho because ESPN subs are so much more expensive than most channels.

If ESPN losers a subscriber, they're losing $7.

If FS1 losers a subscriber, they're losing $1.

And ESPN is paying a lot for those content rights...I think one estimate was they're due to pay about $7.3 billion in rights fees for next year.

Clay Travis had an interesting, but long,
article on it a couple weeks ago.

http://www.outkickthecoverage.com/espn-loses-621-000-subscribers-worst-month-in-company-history-102916

 

[FBallFan123]

Sucks that FS1 is losing as well. I was hoping it was just ESPN because I hate them.

I hate ESPN and rarely ever watch it aside from some college football games and MLB.

Can't stand any ESPN studio shows or most of their hosts, particularly Wingo and Van Pelt, and anything with a sports columnist or radio host on it.

 

[Hoosierfrog]

Well, when you are the cheerleader for the SEC and B10 it is no wonder. You alienate B12 and Pac 12 with negativity day after day, that's a lot of tvs.

 

[hiphopfroggy]

I cut out espn with sling on apple tv. 

 

[Limey Frog]

Conferences should just go back to 1980s alignments, create an 8 team playoff, combine to sell a subscription streaming service to the lot, and profit.

 

[Pure Purple]

If ESPN ever removes their head from the SEC's rectal cavity they may have a clue
 
of what's really happening.

 

[SurfCityFrog]

Well, when you are the cheerleader for the SEC and B10 it is no wonder. You alienate B12 and Pac 12 with negativity day after day, that's a lot of tvs.

 
 
^ This ^

 

[The Artist Formerly Known as PhormerPhrog]

Dropped DTV and went with Sony Vue through Roku.

 

[Deep Purple]

All sports networks from ESPN to FS1 are losing viewership, and I agree that live streaming is the predominant reason.  But nobody has lost as much ground as ESPN, and nobody is losing as much money as ESPN -- by a long shot.
 
For that reason, I'm convinced the bullheaded agenda ESPN pushed through its game broadcasts and sports studio shows, constantly pandering to the SEC and the B1G, is also a major contributing factor.  The country is way more than just SEC and B1G territory.  Two of the three most populous states in the Union are outside of the SEC and B1G footprint.
 
ESPN simply lost track of its audience demographic.  It arrogantly believed viewers had no choice but to follow wherever the sports media elites chose to lead them.  ESPN forgot that the people -- not the media elites -- do the choosing and are the source of all the money.
 
Capitalism is all about the market, not your agenda.

 

[Chongo94]

Dropped DTV and went with Sony Vue through Roku.

More details please...can you get like hbo and showtime and such on vue or whatever?

 

[The Artist Formerly Known as PhormerPhrog]

More details please...can you get like hbo and showtime and such on vue or whatever?

Yeah, the top package comes with both for 75/mo. There's about 115 channels. I get all the sports I need. The HBO and Showtime only only have 2 channels but you can use the apps through your streaming stick. There's minimal rewind so that takes a bit to get used to but I have hopes that will eventually be remedied. It's not as good as far as the capabilities of Direct TV but it's worth saving $50/month.

Plus, whatever streaming device you use will have tons of crap for kids, music, on demand, etc. I have a Roku and there's a DVR app but I haven't figured it out yet. I figure I'll try a firestick or Apple TV on one of the other tvs in the house. I only know Roku but it's easy to switch between Netflix, Amazon, Hulu and Vue.

I've heard Sling has more functionality but it doesn't have near the channel lineup.

Fwiw, there's no lifetime or Hallmark on Vue. Wife is kinda mad about that but too bad, so sad.

 

[Chongo94]

Yeah, the top package comes with both for 75/mo. There's about 115 channels. I get all the sports I need. The HBO and Showtime only only have 2 channels but you can use the apps through your streaming stick. There's minimal rewind so that takes a bit to get used to but I have hopes that will eventually be remedied. It's not as good as far as the capabilities of Direct TV but it's worth saving $50/month.

Plus, whatever streaming device you use will have tons of crap for kids, music, on demand, etc. I have a Roku and there's a DVR app but I haven't figured it out yet. I figure I'll try a firestick or Apple TV on one of the other tvs in the house. I only know Roku but it's easy to switch between Netflix, Amazon, Hulu and Vue.

I've heard Sling has more functionality but it doesn't have near the channel lineup.

Fwiw, there's no lifetime or Hallmark on Vue. Wife is kinda mad about that but too bad, so sad.

Awesome! And I'm glad you compared it to sling because I've been wondering about the differences. Friends just went to sling but your deal sounds better. Really considering dropping cable although I do like my Uverse...it's just too damn expensive. Thank you.

 

[Bob]

If only we could go back to 3 channels + Channel 11 and UHF. Do away with these frustrating remotes that don't work half the time and get a real channel knob on the TVs. I'd rather watch Slam-Bang Theatre any day than Sports Center or the Stugotz his pee-pee guy.