• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

Could Disney Spin Off ESPN?

PTBoardOp94 said:
Roughly the same, but services like YouTubeTV and Sling aren't growing either, at least during the current recession. Many analysts appear to believe that the cable bundle is dead, and virtual cable companies like those are unlikely to attract customers in the same way real cable operators did 15 years ago.

This from before COVID: https://nationalinterest.org/blog/techland/why-vmvpd-think-youtube-tv-have-price-hike-problem-166974
Click to expand...

I've always felt that an all-sports bundle -- nothing but sports, and all-inclusive, with all American national and regional sports channels, plus the the Spanish-language ones (both domestic and Latin American) and specialty channels like cricket-centered Willow TV that are placed on premium tiers -- would work as a bundle for the truly sports-obsessed. But cable viewers now have to put up with exceptions and hundreds of unwanted non-sports channels even with the most inclusive sports bundles. I wonder what the price would be for such a channel, given the per-customer charges associated with most sports networks. This bundle would also have to include general-interest OTA and cable networks that also carry live sports.
 
It's interesting but at least for the USA, ESPN is being bundles with Hulu and Disney+ as part of the Disney+ plan from what I am seeing on commercials to sign for Disney+.
 
That's ESPN+, not ESPN, included with Disney+. It does not include access to any of ESPN's linear cable networks. It's mostly fifth-tier events, like Bundesliga and SerieA soccer from Germany and Italy, no-name boxers, and college sports like softball.
 
nomadcowatbk said:
will they ever offer a marquee even on ESPN+ in the near future? even a lower tier bowl game
Click to expand...

Event? Probably not at the $5 price point. Of course, some would argue that Bayern Munich vs. Borussia Dortmund, Juventus vs. Inter Milan, and England's FA Cup final are marquee events, and they are, just not to Americans whose focus is strictly on domestic teams and competitions. While boxing's and MMA's few real superstar attractions will continue to fight only on pay-per-view, there are title fights aplenty to be found on ESPN+, some here in the US in sterile studio settings, others before actual fans abroad. ESPN+ also shows every match through the quarterfinals of three of the four tennis majors (the outlier is the French Open, which struck a deal with NBC). Those tournaments are marquee events in and of themselves, even though the semifinal and championship matches are only for the eyes of those who also pay for TV. As a fan of tennis and European soccer -- along with college baseball and hockey, assuming those sports eventually re-emerge from their COVID-induced cocoon of fear -- I consider ESPN+ a fantastic bargain. But if you're expecting one of ESPN's biggest events to migrate there, that's not going to happen unless cable/satellite becomes irrelevant and until ESPN+ costs much more to view than $5 a month or a subscription to a movie-and-cartoon service.

ESPN3, though, is available online at no extra charge to anyone with a cable subscription or even with only internet service through one of many eligible ISPs. Lower tier bowl games as well as several major conference NCAA football games a week are available via ESPN3, often including a marquee matchup. This Saturday, Ohio State-Penn State will be on ESPN3. Notre Dame will be offered as well, but in a probable stinker against pathetic Georgia Tech.
 
nomadcowatbk said:
will they ever offer a marquee even on ESPN+ in the near future? even a lower tier bowl game
Click to expand...

There were Big 12 men's basketball conference games on ESPN + last year. Pretty sure some were games between two teams in the top 10. Regular season men's basketball is probably the most "marquee" they will get right now.
 
https://www.thewrap.com/espn-new-executive-team-connor-schell-jodi-markley-jimmy-pitaro/

ESPN is changing management in this report

ESPN has re-set its senior executive team in the wake of Connor Schell’s exit and Jodi Markley’s retirement. (Oh yeah, and those 500 cut jobs last week.)

Schell, who is leaving to form his own production company (with ESPN as its first client) was in charge of all-non sports programming and was instrumental in the network’s documentary content. He is best known for co-creating ESPN’s “30 for 30” documentary franchise with Bill Simmons, and was an executive producer on “O.J.: Made in America” and “The Last Dance.” He was one of the network’s top lieutenants under Jimmy Pitaro, who serves as chairman of ESPN and other sports content at Disney, alongside Burke Magnus, who headed up programming and scheduling.

Markley, meanwhile, who served as executive vice president, Content Operations & Creative Services, has chosen to retire after 32 years.
Click to expand...
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom