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ESPN loses over 3 million subscribers over the past year

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Plinko

Wildcard berths that can't beat teams without a winning record should have homefield advantage
Good.

Now if only the stupid NFL would cut that dumb deal with DirecTV for Sunday Ticket and just let everyone pay for it if they wish.
 
This has nothing to do with the issue. People aren't "unsubscribing" to ESPN and "subscribing" to Fox Sports 1. Those sports channels are in the same boat. This is the result of people just choosing to cut cable and no longer paying for packages that include ESPN (which is basically all of them).

Nope. Verizon offers packages without ESPN now. Theyve been marketing it heavily.
 

kirby_fox

Banned
All it'll take is the NFL, NBA or MLB deciding it can make more money by creating a streaming app service for games. Subscribe and get all of them live.

If ESPN doesn't do it first, it's a matter of time.
 

Opiate

Member
"Nope" what?

I think his point is that people literally are "unsubscribing" from ESPN in a pretty particular way. Cable providers are (apparently, according to him) providing cable packages that specifically exclude ESPN to keep costs down.

In that way, this isn't just cable cutters, it's also people keeping cable but getting rid of ESPN.
 
"Nope" what?

Hes saying that ESPN cut = Cable cut.

Thats not true. Verizon is getting people to keep cable but drop ESPN

Did you read the article?

ESPN is in 92.9m homes. Food is in 96.3m. Thats over 3 million homes that kept cable but dropped ESPN.

The idea that cable = ESPN is outdated.

In fact, ESPN is so terrified about that that theyre suing Verizon

When Verizon’s service was announced this weekend, the sports juggernaut voiced public objections, saying it runs afoul of terms that prohibit ESPN from being relegated to separate bundles. Verizon’s new “Customized TV Plan” offers a core package of 35 channels -- including CNN, AMC, CW and others -- for $54.99 a month. Customers who want ESPN and ESPN2 will have to sign up for an additional sports-themed add-on package, one of several genre-specific packages the service offers. The first two add-on packages are free, but additional packages cost $10 more a month each.
http://www.ibtimes.com/verizon-fios-cuts-espn-core-tv-bundle-lower-your-cable-bill-1890887

ESPN isn't a fan of Verizon's new way of offering cable channels under its Fios TV service.

The sports network has sued Verizon for allegedly breaching its contract, which was earlier reported by CNBC.com. The lawsuit was filed in the New York Supreme Court.
http://www.cnet.com/news/espn-sues-verizon-over-new-skinny-bundles-for-cable-tv/
 
This is the inherent danger in rooting yourself so firmly in a static business model when there are signs decades in advance of what's to come.

Eh? The old model netted them more subscribers than they would have had. Everyone is forced to get ESPN whether they want it or not. Given a choice of getting rid of it the end result is obviously going to be people will get rid of it and subscribers will go down.
 

Dazzler

Member
I'm 30 years old and I've never had a cable subscription in my life

Future generations will think us mental for paying so much for so little choice and convenience

If I absolutely have to see a live sporting event I'll go to a bar and watch it. Like the UFC this weekend
 

njean777

Member
Everything except the NFL is in big trouble once the sports TV rights bubble pops in the US.

Basketball will be ok, they just need to start offering internet packages to stream all the games. Just pay 100$ and you get all the games for the season on the Internet. The NFL needs to do the same.
 

Machine

Member
I have no need for ESPN. I have to watch Fox Sports if I want to watch anything related to local teams since ESPN only seems to care about SEC football and a handful of major market teams in each sport. The only other thing that used to be worth watching is Sports Center but that show hasn't been very good in a long time.
 
All it'll take is the NFL, NBA or MLB deciding it can make more money by creating a streaming app service for games. Subscribe and get all of them live.

If ESPN doesn't do it first, it's a matter of time.

This has existed for years. MLB is a pioneer in streaming, they've been doing it since like 2001.
 

Allforce

Member
I don't honestly believe in the "if you like live sports you NEED cable/ESPN" idea much anymore.

What live events does ESPN even broadcast anymore?

NFL - MNF, has been a disaster for years. They don't even get to air a playoff game on ESPN (wild card game is aired on ABC with ESPN production)
NBA - Do they still do the Friday night showcase? That was once a week. They definitely get more playoff coverage though but TNT has taken a chunk out of that.
MLB - Sunday Night game of the week. That's all I know of. They used to do a Wednesday game as well but I have no idea if they still do.

College football is their bread and butter at this point, but that's only 5 months a year and is spread so thin across all their programming.

It seems like the idea should be "if you like sports analysts you NEED cable/ESPN" anymore. Because that seems to make up a huge percentage of prime time programming.
 

TS-08

Member
I think his point is that people literally are "unsubscribing" from ESPN in a pretty particular way. Cable providers are (apparently, according to him) providing cable packages that specifically exclude ESPN to keep costs down.

In that way, this isn't just cable cutters, it's also people keeping cable but getting rid of ESPN.

My point is that people aren't "subscribing" from one sports cable channel to "subscribe" to another. And my point about the lower numbers explicitly said people were no longer subscribing to packages with ESPN. I did describe them as cord cutters because that is obviously where the overwhelming majority of the numbers are coming from. Even the article mentions this. Nothing I said and nothing Verizon is doing contradicts this in any way worth mentioning.
 

BobLoblaw

Banned
I only watch ESPN when there's an NFL game or an NBA game I want to see. Other than that, it's never on here. I do listen to a couple of podcasts though. Still, I guess this is part of the reason why there have been so many personnel changes over the last few months.
 
I remember when I fretted about cutting the cord because I was going to lose ESPN. Ten years ago. I haven't missed them at all.
 
Good. Since I'm no longer forced to have ESPN I dropped it. Worthless channel. I hope SportsCenter stops winning award now. It's trash.
 
I don't honestly believe in the "if you like live sports you NEED cable/ESPN" idea much anymore.

What live events does ESPN even broadcast anymore?

NFL - MNF, has been a disaster for years. They don't even get to air a playoff game on ESPN (wild card game is aired on ABC with ESPN production)
NBA - Do they still do the Friday night showcase? That was once a week. They definitely get more playoff coverage though but TNT has taken a chunk out of that.
MLB - Sunday Night game of the week. That's all I know of. They used to do a Wednesday game as well but I have no idea if they still do.

College football is their bread and butter at this point, but that's only 5 months a year and is spread so thin across all their programming.

It seems like the idea should be "if you like sports analysts you NEED cable/ESPN" anymore. Because that seems to make up a huge percentage of prime time programming.

As mentioned a few posts off, they also lost most of their soccer coverage right as the sports is getting more popular.

I also dont understand why they dont show more live sports.

When I was on a cruise in the Caribbean a couple of years ago, they had ESPN International. Whenever youd turn it on, theyd have live sports.

Rugby.
Cricket. (ie, live at 3am from Asia)
Argentine Club Polo.

Niche sports? Sure. But live. In the US it seems like live sports are an afterthought.

If I wanted to see talking heads, Id get ESPN News.

Now Im not saying ESPN should show more Argentine Club Polo, but there are plenty of sports interesting to American audiences that always get ignored in favor of talking heads yelling at each other.
 

Mindlog

Member
I know a cord cutter that stopped watching sports because he is fighting the good fight against evil cable companies.

Are there lots of cord cutters now or it just seems that way because cord cutters will go out of their way to tell you they are cord cutters and make you listen to their rants about how evil cable companies are? The weird thing is that some of these people still pay the "evil" cable company for Internet. Whatever. I'll enjoy paying $45 a month so I don't have to try to watch some spotty sketchy Russian pirate stream to enjoy the sports I like. Putting cable companies out of business wouldn't be in the top 1000 issues of changes I would like to see in the world.
1. Cord cutting.
2. Don't have/watch television.
3. Gluten free.

For a very long run ESPN felt free to pay ridiculous money for sport licensing rights. Sure sports are very popular and valuable, but ESPN held nothing back when driving for exclusivity contracts forcing everyone to pay more. If the fan wants to watch they'll have to come through us! Now that chicken is coming home to roost. Maybe the next round of television contracts won't be as reliant upon rapid growth in viewership fees. Get fucked ESPN.
 

Opiate

Member
My point is that people aren't "subscribing" from one sports cable channel to "subscribe" to another. And my point about the lower numbers explicitly said people were no longer subscribing to packages with ESPN. I did describe them as cord cutters because that is obviously where the overwhelming majority of the numbers are coming from. Even the article mentions this. Nothing I said and nothing Verizon is doing contradicts this in any way worth mentioning.

I understand. I'm only trying to explain his argument for clarity, since you seemed confused.
 

TS-08

Member
I understand. I'm only trying to explain his argument for clarity, since you seemed confused.

It wasn't a "clarity" problem. There is nothing I my post to say "nope" to. The article defines "cord cutter" as someone who cuts cable or gets a slimmer package without ESPN (which is really just a package without sports). The overwhelming majority of cable packages have ESPN, which is where the "subscriber" number comes from. So when people no longer subscribe to the package with ESPN, numbers go down. It has nothing to do with people "switching" to the other sports channels like the poster implied.
 

TS-08

Member
You said this:



That is what I said no to. Did you read my post?

I was using the term interchangeably with "cord cutting" which the article uses to describe removing cable or reducing it to smaller packages. Thats why I described them as people who are no longer subscribing to packages with ESPN. This is really nothing but a semantic argument that has nothing to do with what I was responding to.
 

Kinsella

Banned
I made it just fine without an espn sub last year. I just went to a bar anytime I need a game on that channel. Local cable for 19.99 does me just fine with a Netflix subscription

Also yeah espn is useless now with so many good sports websites

I traded my Netflix login to a family member to get access to their Watchespn. Now the only NFL games I miss are late season games on NFL Network, which have been mainly crap anyway.
 

Cybit

FGC Waterboy
I also wonder how many cord cutters end up using WatchESPN from a family / friend's active cable account for their fix when they need it.
 

TTOOLL

Member
These people are dumb, put everything on the Internet, charge a reasonable price and enjoy your profit. I don't know much about Cable TV in the US but it sucks in Brazil. I'll never pay a cable subscription just to get ESPN.


Edit:

I also wonder how many cord cutters end up using WatchESPN from a family / friend's active cable account for their fix when they need it.


I do this in Brazil. My father pays a cable subscription and use his account to access WatchESPN.
 
These people are dumb, put everything on the Internet, charge a reasonable price and enjoy your profit. I don't know much about Cable TV in the US but it sucks in Brazil. I'll never pay a cable subscription just to get ESPN.

I mean, they're trying shit out, ESPN is a part of SlingTV which is only $20.
 

Talamius

Member
I think ESPN's biggest mistake was dropping the ball on regional networks. FOX knocked this out of the park. Not everyone cares about the major markets ESPN tries to forcefeed you.
 

Hari Seldon

Member
ESPN is part of the reason why everyone is dropping cable in the first place. Seriously $120/month for triple play is a minimum cable bill with stripped down shit these days (when you include the fucking rental fees for the boxes - thanks fucking shithead FCC!!). I am a pretty well off dude but I'm not dropping this kind of dough on something I might watch a few hours a week.
 

linsivvi

Member
These people are dumb, put everything on the Internet, charge a reasonable price and enjoy your profit. I don't know much about Cable TV in the US but it sucks in Brazil. I'll never pay a cable subscription just to get ESPN.

Most leagues have their own Internet streaming subscription plans already. ESPN only covers a small portion of games anyway and they probably get a cut from the games they cover.
 

old

Member
They kept pushing for higher and higher carriage fees while simultaneously replacing actual sports with more talk shows about sports. They do it because licensed content is expensive while airing their own proprietary content has a higher profit margin.

If you're going to keep making me pay more for your product then you have to improve your product not degrade it. You put profit margin over quality. Fuck you and fuck off.

I'll pay to watch sports 24/7. I'm not paying (and currently don't pay) for a channel that's just sports guys talking about sports. That channel can go fuck itself. I'm a sports fan not a sports-talk fan.
 

Kinsella

Banned
When I cut cable, the show I missed most was my daily dose of PTI. But then I checked iTunes and saw they made podcast versions of it every day, so I just download that and listen to it while I jog. Free. I haven't found Sportscaster to be watchable since Keith and Dan stopped doing it many years ago.
 

krae_man

Member
Everything except the NFL is in big trouble once the sports TV rights bubble pops in the US.

I think they all are in trouble. Every sports leagues rights fees are based on the fact that everybody has to pay for them regardless if you watch the channel/sport or not.

Hell here in Canada internet rates are through the roof because of Rogers paying a fuck ton for exclusive NHL rights for 10 years.

The cheapest internet plan they have now is $75 after taxes. Yes you read that right cheapest. You can't even escape paying for these insane rights fees cord cutting.
 
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