ESPN

[ShotgunDawg]

ESPN is laying off 100 people, including Ed Werder. They lay off legit reporters with perspective like Ed Werder while keeping PCs like Jemele Hill, yellers like Stephen A Smith, and offered millions to keep Skip Bayless last year.

I'm not sure I've seen an American business run themselves in the ground more by not understanding their demographic and playing in the political sand box as much as ESPN.

For someone that grew up watching the channel non stop, I now despise what they stand for.

[confucius say]

Catering hard to the instant gratification millenials and it has backfired. And I'm only 33.

[ShotgunDawg]

Catering hard to the instant gratification millenials and it has backfired. And I'm only 33.

Yup. The channel turned into pop culture diarrhea

[DownwardDawg]

Same here. I'm 49 years old now. I used to watch espn non stop and the tv would stay on espn even when I wasn't watching. Now the only time I watch it is during football games and other MSU events.

[Martianlander]

And the bad thing is ESPN is a controlling factor in college sports, especially football.

[AusTexDawg]

Just look at the popularity of cable news or much of talk radio to see why they would want to keep folks like Stephen A Smith and Skip Bayless. Apparently, folks like people yelling back and forth.

[smootness]

Just look at the popularity of cable news or much of talk radio to see why they would want to keep folks like Stephen A Smith and Skip Bayless. Apparently, folks like people yelling back and forth.

Exactly. This is the fault of viewers, who give those shows ratings and have proven they don't care at all about legit reporting from people like Werder.

ESPN understands their demographic just fine. As is always the case, they are making moves to cut costs while supporting their revenue drivers. They are a business, they're not going to get rid of the people making them more money.

[SaintDawg]

That's what happens when you mix politics and sports. That silly shit with Caitlyn/Bruce "Look At Me" Jenner and the ESPYs was icing on the cake. They're doing what all failing companies do and it will lead to their ruin. They are attempting to satisfy the small groups who want this and that and are crying the loudest and complaining while running off the main people who made them what they are. This is to make ESPN appear politically correct and say "See? We have something for everyone." Sports needs to stay sports, period. And it doesn't need to include the LBGTQ/OBGYN/LSMFT population. Nobody cares who you sleep with. Nobody cares who you marry. If your an athlete, be an athlete. Don't make it a platform to force your views and get media channels to pander to you. Keep the shit separate, like church and state.

[Reason2succeed]

Hate to break it to you but everything isn't a PC culture war against you.

The decline of ESPN has more to do with the rise of the web and websites. You used to depend on ESPN to know scores and stats and what happened in a game but now you can just click to a website and get the highlights you want to see when you want to see it.

You used to have to watch sportscenter and wait for that 10 sec clip. And then they just played SC on a loop all day long until 6pm and have a new episode.

[smootness]

Hate to break it to you but everything isn't a PC culture war against you.

The decline of ESPN has more to do with the rise of the web and websites. You used to depend on ESPN to know scores and stats and what happened in a game but now you can just click to a website and get the highlights you want to see when you want to see it.

You used to have to watch sportscenter and wait for that 10 sec clip. And then they just played SC on a loop all day long until 6pm and have a new episode.

That, and the fact that more and more people are cutting the cord on cable. Sports fans will almost all continue to pay for cable because of the live sporting events, but it is the non-sports fans who don't care about ESPN, and because you paid for ESPN with your cable package whether you wanted it or not, that is where their losses are showing up.

It has virtually nothing to do with any politics.

[TimberBeast]

Hate to break it to you but everything isn't a PC culture war against you.

The decline of ESPN has more to do with the rise of the web and websites. You used to depend on ESPN to know scores and stats and what happened in a game but now you can just click to a website and get the highlights you want to see when you want to see it.

You used to have to watch sportscenter and wait for that 10 sec clip. And then they just played SC on a loop all day long until 6pm and have a new episode.

The rise of websites to deliver the content is also because of the decline of ESPN and their decision to cater to the fringe instead of what built them. There is a demand out there that is anything but ESPN, just like some of the news networks. I won't let my kids just watch ESPN without it being a certain sporting event because of the garbage that's there, the exact same reason we don't watch news networks.

[smootness]

The rise of websites to deliver the content is also because of the decline of ESPN and their decision to cater to the fringe instead of what built them. There is a demand out there that is anything but ESPN, just like some of the news networks. I won't let my kids just watch ESPN without it being a certain sporting event because of the garbage that's there, the exact same reason we don't watch news networks.

It really isn't. ESPN still gives you all the scores and information they've ever given. It's just the reality of a world in which you can receive score updates and highlights on your phone in real-time. No one is choosing to use Fox Sports for their scores and highlights because ESPN is too liberal.

I mean, their rise that culminated in utter domination of the sports world happened while their most prominent employee was freaking Keith Olbermann.

[LilSebastian]

I won't let my kids just watch ESPN without it being a certain sporting event because of the garbage that's there, the exact same reason we don't watch news networks.

To be fair, I wouldn't let children listen braindead old morons drone on about team chemistry and locker room guys and momentum either.

Oh wait, you're just scared of the outside world -- that's a healthy approach to parenting.

[Pollodawg]

To be fair, I wouldn't let children listen braindead old morons drone on about team chemistry and locker room guys and momentum either.

Oh wait, you're just scared of the outside world -- that's a healthy approach to parenting.

Or, you know, he just wants to be a responsible parent and monitor what his children see on tv the best way he can without seeking your approval or any snark from you over it. I don't know why, but posts like this irritate the fire out of me.

[LilSebastian]

Or, you know, he just wants to be a responsible parent and monitor what his children see on tv the best way he can without seeking your approval or any snark from you over it. I don't know why, but posts like this irritate the fire out of me.

He didn't mention the content being appropriate, rather that he just disagrees with it -- that's the most weakwilled, snowflakeyest mindset I've ever heard.

[TimberBeast]

To be fair, I wouldn't let children listen braindead old morons drone on about team chemistry and locker room guys and momentum either.

Oh wait, you're just scared of the outside world -- that's a healthy approach to parenting.

Huh? We spend our life in the outside world, sports, fishing, grilling, everything we can. But yeah I could teach my kids to be a douchebag like you on espn and cnn, maybe a little protesting (rioting) instead of working. No thanks, we're doing good.

[BeardoMSU]

Huh? We spend our life in the outside world, sports, fishing, grilling, everything we can. But yeah I could teach my kids to be a douchebag like you on espn and cnn, maybe a little protesting (rioting) instead of working. No thanks, we're doing good.

Children always follow the orders of their parents, as I did, and I'm sure you did.***

[LilSebastian]

Huh? We spend our life in the outside world, sports, fishing, grilling, everything we can. But yeah I could teach my kids to be a douchebag like you on espn and cnn, maybe a little protesting (rioting) instead of working. No thanks, we're doing good.

You don't know anything about me. All I know is that you're scared of ESPN corrupting your children and that's pitiful snowflake logic.

[smootness]

The rise of websites to deliver the content is also because of the decline of ESPN and their decision to cater to the fringe instead of what built them. There is a demand out there that is anything but ESPN, just like some of the news networks. I won't let my kids just watch ESPN without it being a certain sporting event because of the garbage that's there, the exact same reason we don't watch news networks.

This, btw, is why it's not about their politics. You are as against them and their political stances as possible, yet you still subscribe.

The commenters on the article...are on ESPN and giving their time to them, and are almost certainly still subscribers.

[Tbonewannabe]

This, btw, is why it's not about their politics. You are as against them and their political stances as possible, yet you still subscribe.

The commenters on the article...are on ESPN and giving their time to them, and are almost certainly still subscribers.

I would think it is a combination of cord cutting plus losing advertising dollars. Ratings in general are down for TV viewership with the rise of Youtube and Netflix. Now with all of the conference channels, you might not watch UCLA vs Cal when you can watch SEC Network+ on your tv. I watch all the MSU games no matter what so I end up watching less games of other teams. Also with DVR, I can catch up on different shows that I didn't watch during the week instead of leaving it on ESPN. I used to just have it on ESPN if nothing else was on but I can watch a DVR or On Demand show instead.