Major cost cutting at ESPN?

[Mojocat_rivals48469]

ESPN and politics. It’s an evergreen topic. I remember one side used to consistently say something like this “no, you knuckledraggers are wrong. ESPN is losing viewers because of cord cutting and a host of other factors, none of which have anything to do with politics. If the way ESPN covers sports bothers you, don’t watch. They won’t miss you.”

Then ESPN got a new President. And he settled the argument last year:

ESPN President Jimmy Pitaro says the network's viewers do not want it getting overtly political. "Without question our data tells us our fans do not want us to cover politics,” Pitaro said in a Los Angeles Times article published Monday. “My job is to provide clarity. I really believe that some of our talent was confused on what was expected of them. If you fast-forward to today, I don’t believe they are confused.”

The nation is split down the middle, and it makes little sense to intentionally alienate half of your potential consumers. But sports fans lean more to the right, it’s not as though the entire group of people who care much about sports are equally divided between right and left. Which is how you get to “without question our data tells us our fans don’t want us to cover politics.”

 

[CB3UK]

The only people who refused to believe it are the people who agree with the politics. Of course people don't want to hear politics they don't agree with, that's common sense. But I absolutely mean it when I say I don't want it the other way. I've made this point in previous threads complaining about KSR back when I listened to that too. People just want sports for friggin sports sake. They bring us together as fans. Black and white, conservative and liberal, rich and poor. Because the playing field, ideally, represents equality and people just go out there and the best team wins. Who the hell appointed journalists or athletes the sole arbiters of truth and reason in regards to political discourse in this country? What makes them more qualified to opine about these subjects than us? The answer is nothing, they simply have a national platform to spew their bile. This increasingly global, 24/7, interconnected, social media based, vapid and selfish society we rapidly and willingly devolve into is having ever increasingly dangerous consequences and implications for the future of our society. I'm glad to see more and more people voluntarily dropping out of social media, dropping the streaming, and opening a book and going outside. HOPEFULLY the Covid shutdown made people readjust their priorities. I know mine have.

 

[wildcatsboston1984_rivals]

ESPN and politics. It’s an evergreen topic. I remember one side used to consistently say something like this “no, you knuckledraggers are wrong. ESPN is losing viewers because of cord cutting and a host of other factors, none of which have anything to do with politics. If the way ESPN covers sports bothers you, don’t watch. They won’t miss you.”

Then ESPN got a new President. And he settled the argument last year:

ESPN President Jimmy Pitaro says the network's viewers do not want it getting overtly political. "Without question our data tells us our fans do not want us to cover politics,” Pitaro said in a Los Angeles Times article published Monday. “My job is to provide clarity. I really believe that some of our talent was confused on what was expected of them. If you fast-forward to today, I don’t believe they are confused.”

The nation is split down the middle, and it makes little sense to intentionally alienate half of your potential consumers. But sports fans lean more to the right, it’s not as though the entire group of people who care much about sports are equally divided between right and left. Which is how you get to “without question our data tells us our fans don’t want us to cover politics.”

He’s doing a pretty terrible job as President or he’s lying about the data.

 

[wildcatsboston1984_rivals]

The only people who refused to believe it are the people who agree with the politics. Of course people don't want to hear politics they don't agree with, that's common sense. But I absolutely mean it when I say I don't want it the other way. I've made this point in previous threads complaining about KSR back when I listened to that too. People just want sports for friggin sports sake. They bring us together as fans. Black and white, conservative and liberal, rich and poor. Because the playing field, ideally, represents equality and people just go out there and the best team wins. Who the hell appointed journalists or athletes the sole arbiters of truth and reason in regards to political discourse in this country? What makes them more qualified to opine about these subjects than us? The answer is nothing, they simply have a national platform to spew their bile. This increasingly global, 24/7, interconnected, social media based, vapid and selfish society we rapidly and willingly devolve into is having ever increasingly dangerous consequences and implications for the future of our society. I'm glad to see more and more people voluntarily dropping out of social media, dropping the streaming, and opening a book and going outside. HOPEFULLY the Covid shutdown made people readjust their priorities. I know mine have.

To be fair, the journalists who specialize in politics are typically are much more engaged and knowledgeable, due to their experience and contacts, than the average person is in regards to politics. Rather you agree with their takes or interpretations/analysis or not is obviously an entirely different thing.

It’s the same reason why we would trust a guy like Woj or Shams about NBA news, Adam Schefter about NFL news, or Justin Rowland or Matt Jones about UK news than we would some random Rivals user.

 

[Mojocat_rivals48469]

He’s doing a pretty terrible job as President or he’s lying about the data.

I think he was able to come in during a more “normal time” and pretty much lay down the law. My guess is after the death of George Floyd and the outpouring of emotion from that event and then the social unrest, he had so many employees who simply refused to not comment on what was happening that he just had to acquiesce. He can’t very well fire all of them.....

 

[CB3UK]

To be fair, the journalists who specialize in politics are typically are much more engaged and knowledgeable, due to their experience and contacts, than the average person is in regards to politics. Rather you agree with their takes or interpretations/analysis or not is obviously an entirely different thing.

It’s the same reason why we would trust a guy like Woj or Shams about NBA news, Adam Schefter about NFL news, or Justin Rowland or Matt Jones about UK news than we would some random Rivals user.

Yeah, no. It's your job to go out and find the answers and question reports and make up your own mind. Not sit and just accept what someone reports at face value. That's ridiculously naive and frankly lazy as all get out. Whether they are more connected or not isn't really germane when their reporting is still inherently agenda driven. You're comparing reporting things like what's going on with an injury (and even that has a degree of agenda as far as what we actually hear v what's really going on, but not necessarily for nefarious purposes) v political stuff. And more to the point, I don't want to hear what Woj or Shams or Schefter think about politics. I do not trust them or to look to them for information in that arena.

 

[rick64]

https://www.foxnews.com/sports/espn-bob-ley-reported-layoffs-job-cuts

 

[bigblueinsanity_rivals250340]

Sports is back and we're told ratings are ok. Announcers call games and do pre/post game from their home, which is a huge cost savings. Im willing to bet at least a portion of their staff transitioned to remote, and office space downsized which is an even bigger cost savings.

Shift to steaming? People steaming will still be watching the same content just by another vehicle. So that shouldn't eliminate jobs

So blaming this on covid is nothing more than a lie. Their expenses should be way down.

So those rooting for ESPN to fail ... if that happens how are you going to watch UK events?

I'll go in person like I did before covid. If these schools lose these fat tv deals, then they'll start valuing the in person experience more. Right now the actual consumer is the media companies. The attendees are just gravy.

 

[Hank Camacho]

It has probably been 10 years since I watched anything other than live sports on ESPN and I don't miss it at all. Back in the day, Sportscenter was must see for me every morning because it was hilarious. The last time I tuned into ESPN it felt like I was being lectured by dumb people.

I might just be getting older but it seems like there are a lot of things in life like that where simple things that were fun have been replaced by people wanting to share their opinion on everything under the sun.

 

[JumperJack]

To be fair, the journalists who specialize in politics are typically are much more engaged and knowledgeable, due to their experience and contacts, than the average person is in regards to politics. Rather you agree with their takes or interpretations/analysis or not is obviously an entirely different thing.

It’s the same reason why we would trust a guy like Woj or Shams about NBA news, Adam Schefter about NFL news, or Justin Rowland or Matt Jones about UK news than we would some random Rivals user.

They are ideological stiffs. One just as replaceable as the next.

 

[Tannerdad]

Live sports and a few 30 for 30 segments are the only thing worth a **** on that network anyway.

Their political statements made quit watching anything else. Screw them. Keep showing sports. That’s your job.

 

[Ryan Lemonds Hair]

Maybe they should have shut up and told the scores.

 

[Laparkafan]

Maybe some of it is how far the ratings fell especially in the nba bubble and they also realize they can’t get the ad revenue they once did.

 

[Geese Feeder]

To be fair, the journalists who specialize in politics are typically are much more engaged and knowledgeable, due to their experience and contacts, than the average person is in regards to politics. Rather you agree with their takes or interpretations/analysis or not is obviously an entirely different thing.

[roll] [laughing] [roll]

Ohhhhh whatever would the people do without the elite media?

Democracy dies in darkness? Right?

 

[jlynn323]

So those rooting for ESPN to fail ... if that happens how are you going to watch UK events?

Tape delayed and rife with Golden Flake and Kentucky Farm Bureau commercials rather than ESPN. "It's goooood!"

 

[UK4number9]

ESPN is like mtv. They started off showing sports. Now it’s so much talk. MTV was music. Not it’s anything but music

 

[BMoore2]

The concept that viewers drive the ratings falls on deaf ears because those who run these media conglomerates take every single possible opportunity to socially engineer society into believing as the powerful want us to believe. They are willing to take chances of pissing people off because they’ve purchased most of the competition and their goals are much greater than immediate ratings. Conspiratorial, but I think there’s some truth to it.