ESPN Laying Off Additional On-Air Personalities
- Thread starter knowlesjam
- Start date
I first noticed SportsCenter (and ESPN in general) taking a step in the wrong direction back when Brett Favre was going through his retirement phase. Every...single...telecast...was like an episode of TMZ. I grew to despise Favre simply from the over-saturation. It was a tired subject and they beat it into the ground.
Unfortunately SportsCenter has become worse. They take one subject and completely kill it. In this day and age when people have shorter and shorter attention spans they drag out one or two stories and beat it to death.
MLB Network and NFL Network have saved me from the habit of instantly waking up and tuning into SportsCenter. I know I'll get every single highlight from every single game. I don't need to see every moment of Steph Curry's press conference with his daughter and I don't give a flying **** which no-name player protested the National Anthem.
Unfortunately SportsCenter has become worse. They take one subject and completely kill it. In this day and age when people have shorter and shorter attention spans they drag out one or two stories and beat it to death.
MLB Network and NFL Network have saved me from the habit of instantly waking up and tuning into SportsCenter. I know I'll get every single highlight from every single game. I don't need to see every moment of Steph Curry's press conference with his daughter and I don't give a flying **** which no-name player protested the National Anthem.
I think paying for sports is going downhill with millennials and as a consequence means less money for sports the future
...and for some sports, they simply aren't making it a habit to watch them like older generations. The demographics for fans watching MLB, for example, keeps trending older and older.
I do predict a contraction in the future -- stadiums have priced-out a large percentage of the population from even being able to afford to attend a game in person. I think salaries will have to eventually come back down to earth. The money train simply isn't going to keep running at the pace it has for the last several decades now that sports broadcasting revenues are taking such a hit.
Since it's Friday, do you think some of the major personalities are going to be let go? The reports are that ESPN is laying off close to 100 people and so far they are at 65
They lay offs were 50 on air and 50 off air. We will likely only about hear the on air people because they're relatable.
- Mar 27, 2006
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I agree. What's been happening with ESPN is a reflection of a change in the way sports are consumed in this country. And, to a larger degree, what's happening with cable is a reflection of a change in the way entertainment is consumed. We're witnessing a giant behemoth trying to adjust to market forces. That's the driving factor behind all of this. I have no doubt that things will settle down eventually as the new landscape takes shape, but things will be a lot different. Mountains will now be valleys and swamps will become deserts. But cable and ESPN aren't going away. There have been a lot of references to ESPN "dying" amidst this round of layoffs. It's not dying. It's still incredibly profitable. I have no doubt that ESPN will be around for years and years and years. They still offer a service that lots of people want. There's just a shift in the way people want it.
- Mar 27, 2006
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I'm no stock guru, but Disney stock has been downgraded by multiple analysts over the past few months, and the issues at ESPN have usually been the primary reason given for the downgrade. The other Disney divisions seem to be doing OK. Seems like the writing has been on the wall for this sort of thing to happen for awhile now.
Disney will be presenting an earnings report in early May. Just speculation, but If they already know that the report will not be good, this layoff could be a "pre-emptive strike" in the sense that it is something they can use to demonstrate that they are addressing the problems, and hopefully keep the stock price from falling too much.
Disney will be presenting an earnings report in early May. Just speculation, but If they already know that the report will not be good, this layoff could be a "pre-emptive strike" in the sense that it is something they can use to demonstrate that they are addressing the problems, and hopefully keep the stock price from falling too much.
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I really hope Disney either purchases Netflix or puts a deal in place to have ESPN carried on Netflix. Check out this article from Forbes about how a Disney acquisition of Netflix could help ESPN:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/markhu...erger-would-rescue-espn-in-2017/#1e51798b4ff7
https://www.forbes.com/sites/markhu...erger-would-rescue-espn-in-2017/#1e51798b4ff7
Disagree. I don't want to pay $50/month for Netflix.
And it looks like ESPN has replaced Jaymee Sire with Elle Duncan - a weekend anchor that isn't really that good. Ooookay...
If ESPN gets on Netflix and raises it to more than $10, people will just start dumping Netflix. I know we would.
Yup. House of Cards doesn't mean that much to me. I'd go over to either Hulu or Amazon Prime and not even think twice (really should do Prime anyway considering how much we buy off Amazon).
A contract is a legal document. Both parties must honor the terms or risk litigation. I'm not sure what you are driving at there.
Aren't all reduction in labor force actions by companies called "lay offs" these days? I wouldn't read too much into that label (if that is what you were asking about).
