SIAP: More ESPN news...

[LurkerLazarus]

If you think there is any chance you will ever get anyone to exhibit any sympathy towards ESPN, you are wasting energy. It is not going to happen. The sooner they cease existing, the better off the world will be.

I couldn't care less what happens to some of their on-screen "talent" assholes. If they have to live on the streets and gutters of San Francisco, I won't lose a minute's sleep. If that makes me a bad guy, so be it. I'll go to confession and say 10 Hail Mary's.

 

[AWS1022]

You need to rethink your priorities.



I don't think you actually believe this. At least, I hope you don't believe this.

My priorities are fine. I don't spend one extra minute of my life worrying about what happens at ESPN. But when I hear news like this about them, I smile. That has nothing to do with my priorities or any part of my life. It's not like I'm neglecting my children so I can spend all my time following the fall of the espn empire....that would require a shift in priorities.

 

[Cletus11]

Since the money is already spent and they do have a valuable asset, Disney will continue making ESPN “more efficient” but also has the funds to prop it up and keep it in tact. What’s happening there is very real and there’s a lot of fat to trim, but anyone predicting the death of ESPN anytime soon is overestimating the situation.

I don't think anybody thinks or saying that ESPN is going under. But from a simple business perspective, they have a huge debt load from paying for content that is sunk cost and a huge cost. Their traditional business model of getting revenue from the cable companies for the ESPN networks is also on the decline and is not going to get reversed. So the point that I was making is that 100 layoffs in a company of that size and revenue is not very much in the grand scheme of things. My point is that in order to make real change, ESPN is going to have to change their business model some and probably make some serious type cuts that significantly drop their expenses to get back in the black. And it is pretty naive to think that Disney is just going to keep pumping money into a sinking ship, it is just a matter of time before Disney forces some much bigger things. I suspect that ESPN is going to drop a channel in the near future to be able to do some significant layoffs and then make the other three channells a little stronger with more content.

 

[NittPicker]

I suspect that ESPN is going to drop a channel in the near future to be able to do some significant layoffs and then make the other three channells a little stronger with more content.

As an example, take ESPNU. It's not part of my current package but judging by its name I assume its focus is college sports. That may work if conference networks didn't exist but BTN, SECN, etc., are now out there. The conferences will want to keep content for their own broadcasts thus leaving less for ESPNU. Disney could turn out the lights at ESPNU and likely save a decent amount of money. Certainly not enough to cover all the red ink but it would be a start.

 

[BobPSU92]

I don't think anybody thinks or saying that ESPN is going under. But from a simple business perspective, they have a huge debt load from paying for content that is sunk cost and a huge cost. Their traditional business model of getting revenue from the cable companies for the ESPN networks is also on the decline and is not going to get reversed. So the point that I was making is that 100 layoffs in a company of that size and revenue is not very much in the grand scheme of things. My point is that in order to make real change, ESPN is going to have to change their business model some and probably make some serious type cuts that significantly drop their expenses to get back in the black. And it is pretty naive to think that Disney is just going to keep pumping money into a sinking ship, it is just a matter of time before Disney forces some much bigger things. I suspect that ESPN is going to drop a channel in the near future to be able to do some significant layoffs and then make the other three channells a little stronger with more content.

I could see just espn (TV) and espn 3 (online) in the future.

 

[anon_1eeb2b426hv3y]

I don't think anybody thinks or saying that ESPN is going under. But from a simple business perspective, they have a huge debt load from paying for content that is sunk cost and a huge cost. Their traditional business model of getting revenue from the cable companies for the ESPN networks is also on the decline and is not going to get reversed. So the point that I was making is that 100 layoffs in a company of that size and revenue is not very much in the grand scheme of things. My point is that in order to make real change, ESPN is going to have to change their business model some and probably make some serious type cuts that significantly drop their expenses to get back in the black. And it is pretty naive to think that Disney is just going to keep pumping money into a sinking ship, it is just a matter of time before Disney forces some much bigger things. I suspect that ESPN is going to drop a channel in the near future to be able to do some significant layoffs and then make the other three channells a little stronger with more content.

All good points, Cletus11. Agreed on the necessary change in model and while I agree it’s naive to think Disney will just keep pumping money into a sinking ship. Instead, its reasonable to expect the funds pumped will be for the very change the network needs. This isn’t just a series of isolated half-measures. Absolutely, there will be additional cuts. Some of them big ones, especially in some of these salaries.
Disney blows a s-ton of money, but they also tend to make really good long term decisions and adjustments, even when they mess up.

 

[aalion]

You need to rethink your priorities.



I don't think you actually believe this. At least, I hope you don't believe this.

Why wouldn’t I believe this? Content for sports shows is regularly determined by editors, writers, producers... the format of the tickets and deciding to blast sensationalism on them 7x24 is certainly not done by on air people. If these layoffs are hitting the true support staff then maybe some are getting shafted, but there are certainly many many off air that helped tear down psu (or tried to) when they could have protected children by telling the truth and the facts instead.

 

[Cletus11]

I could see just espn (TV) and espn 3 (online) in the future.

Yeah, I think ESPNU and ESPNews are going to be gone shortly, would not be surprised to see it happen next year for at least one of them. I think they will try to keep ESPN 2 around for a while as they do have enough content already signed to keep two channels in business (with college football, college BBall, NBA, baseball, etc...). But ESPNnews is worthless as everybody gets news on the Internet now and the talking head shows I just cannot see getting big ratings to keep around. And ESPNU with conference networks and the ability to view on on-line also seems like a sinking ship.