How a Weakened ESPN Became Consumed by Politics

[BlueStateSaint]

This showed up on Drudge.  Interesting how the network seems to be headed in the wrong direction.

How a Weakened ESPN Became Consumed by Politics

Arguments over tweets, tension with owner Disney increased anxiety over the network’s future in era of cord-cutting

By
Shalini Ramachandran ▲
May 24, 2018 11:40 a.m. ET

John Skipper was furious.

One of his star anchors, Jemele Hill, had sent a tweet calling President Donald Trump a “white supremacist.” Mr. Trump’s supporters called for her to be fired. Prominent black athletes defended the anchor, who is African-American.

Sitting in his office last September, Mr. Skipper, then ESPN’s president, lit into Ms. Hill, according to people familiar with the meeting. If I punish you, he told her, I’d open us up to protests and come off as racist. If I do nothing, that will fuel a narrative among conservatives—and a faction within ESPN—that the network had become too liberal.

Mr. Skipper chose to spare Ms. Hill. Mr. Trump weighed in on Twitter : “ESPN is paying a really big price for its politics (and bad programming). People are dumping it in RECORD numbers.”

The president’s tweet was hyperbolic, but it tapped into real anxiety at ESPN. What was the way forward for a company shaken to its foundations by the cord-cutting revolution?

The rest of the story is here: https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-a-weakened-espn-became-consumed-by-politics-1527176425

 

[SVPete]

It's behind TWSJ's paywall. But based on what you quoted, John Skipper seemed to "get" the peril of an entertainment network diving into politics, at least partially. As soon as an entertainer or network takes a side, any side, it alienates a significant part of its audience. Ask the Ditzy Tricks how that worked out for them (if they're willing to be honest). ESPN went stupid anyway, and has paid a large price, even within Disney (the ESPN Lounge in Anaheim Downtown Disney was closed a year or two ago, and is being converted into a bowling alley; Disney Cruise Lines' ships had ESPN Lounges ... we saw this in 2012, but on a 2016 cruise we found it had been changed). ESPN has been hurt by other things as well, so as a whole I don't see a way forward for ESPN.

[Ralph Wiggum]

This showed up on Drudge.  Interesting how the network seems to be headed in the wrong direction.

The rest of the story is here: https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-a-weakened-espn-became-consumed-by-politics-1527176425

Found that link earlier today, pretty interesting stuff.

Like the Democrats, ESPN seems to keep doubling down on what has already failed.  Some of the books out there about the history & culture of ESPN are worthwhile reads.

[freedumb2003b]

Subscription link

[Ralph Wiggum]

Breaking news on this topic:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/2018/05/25/keith-olbermann-back-sportscenter-expanded-espn-role/644277002/

Keith Olbermann takes an expanded role at ESPN, including a return to 'SportsCenter'

Keith Olbermann's most recent return to ESPN just became more prominent.

Olbermann, who has made appearances on various ESPN shows in recent months, will have an increased role on the network as part of a deal announced Friday that includes a return to SportsCenter as a guest anchor.

“Since we started this, my sixth separate tenure with ESPN, in January, I’ve found the variety of assignments to be the most fun and energizing of all my stints,” Olbermann said in a statement. “Adding stuff, like being a rookie 59-year-old play-by-play guy, plus the Rip Van Winkle of SportsCenter, only adds to the smorgasbord. Can’t wait, and at my age, I shouldn’t.”

Olbermann’s first assignment under the new deal comes Monday, as he will call the Astros-Yankees game on ESPN Radio, according to ESPN’s news release. Olbermann also will co-host some editions of PTI and will make appearances on Outside the Lines.

The new pact with Olbermann will likely be dissected by some right-leaning commentators, many of whom have hammered ESPN over an alleged left-leaning bias. Olbermann has been a frequent – and forceful -- critic of President Trump and other Republicans on social media and other mediums.

Now, I enjoy Olberdork as a sports guy.  But for ESPN to rehire him for a 6th stint, a prominent voice of "the resistance", is f-ing pathetic.

[SVPete]

I would have thought Keithie too toxic, so that even if he never yapped a peep on politics he still would be a negative.

[SVPete]

For some reason I was able to see the article when I used the link from Instapundit. The url is the same. Anyway, here's a bit more of the article:

Why ESPN found itself torn up by the nation’s partisan politics traces back to its fundamental business challenge. Its status as cable TV’s most expensive channel had become a liability. As consumers grew fed up with their monthly cable prices, big cable distributors began offering discounted packages that didn’t include the network. Many consumers opted for those offers, while others cut the cord entirely, leading ESPN to shed 16 million subscribers over seven years.

At the same time, costs have ballooned, especially for vital live sports rights. Average annual payments tied to ESPN’s four biggest, long-term rights deals have more than doubled since 2013 to $4.7 billion. After years of growth, ESPN’s profit declined in the fiscal year that ended in September 2017, people familiar with its finances said. Declines have continued for the two ensuing quarters. ESPN has laid off some 600 employees over the past several years, including well-known hosts, though it has hired in areas such as technology and data.

ESPN’s relationship with majority-owner Walt Disney Co. grew tense as the once reliable profit engine turned into a public headache, people close to the situation said. A recent management shake-up gave Disney a chance to exert more control. Mr. Skipper departed suddenly in December, citing a substance-abuse issue. He later said someone from whom he bought cocaine had tried to extort him.

Disney Chief Executive Bob Iger installed as his replacement James Pitaro, Disney’s former consumer products and digital chief. Mr. Pitaro has promised to expand ESPN’s audience by targeting younger and casual fans, including with a new streaming service launched last month. He believes ESPN leaned too much into politics and that has influenced how the company was perceived, a person close to ESPN said. He has encouraged its programs to return to news and highlights and move away from opinionated commentary.