ESPN Loses 4 million subscribers in one year! (11+ million and over a billion dollars over 5 years after hard PC swing to the left)

[SheriffJoe]

Report: ESPN Saw a Drop in Conservative Viewers Across the Country Over the Last Year

Getty Images​

BY: Nick Bolger
May 24, 2017 1:17 pm

ESPN's audience saw a decrease in conservative leaning viewers between 2015 and 2016, according to a new analysis.

Deep Root Analytics conducted the study,which found that ESPN viewership in 34 of 43 television markets saw a decrease in Republican viewers between the years that kick-started the presidential campaigns and election.

Multiple channels in the ESPN family saw their viewership move to the left of the political spectrum. While ESPN and ESPN 2 saw just a 5 percent and 10 percent decrease in Republican viewers respectively, ESPN News viewership became 36 percent less Republican.

The decrease in conservative viewers was not specific to rural markets. New York City's television market, which saw only 36 percent of voters support President Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton, underwent a 7 percent decrease in conservative viewership. Similarly, Atlanta, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Tallahassee, and Washington D.C. all saw a decrease in conservative viewers.

Only two major markets, Boston and Charlotte, saw an increase in Republican viewers between the two years.

http://freebeacon.com/culture/report-espn-saw-drop-conservative-viewers-across-country-last-year/

 

[SheriffJoe]

After turn to leftwing politics, 10M subscribers drop ESPN

• Michael Haverluck,OneNewsNow.com
• 11:55 am May 30, 2017
• 3 comments

Millions of television viewers have turned to different networks for their sports entertainment following ESPN’s “Left-wing lurch” in its programming and social media over the past few years, says former ESPN commentator and writer Jason Whitlock.

He was recently asked why ESPN has chosen to move in this direction, which has reportedly caused it to make major layoffs.

“ESPN is the most powerful and the most beloved brand in sports … people love ESPN, some people still do, some people hate ESPN because of pushing politics … Why are they doing that?” Tucker Carlson asked Whitlock on his Fox News show, Tucker Carlson Tonight.

Keeping Left, losing the Right

Carlson was alluding to recent statistics divulging ESPN’s audience shift over the past two years.

“Specifically, in 2015, the ESPN audience on average skewed Republican across all dayparts, ranging from 12 percent more Republican (Early News, Late Fringe, Overnight) to 21 percent more Republican than Democratic (Early Morning),” Deep Root Analytics announced. “In 2016, every daypart on ESPN became less conservative, with Daytime being only 2 percent more Republican than Democratic, while Late Fringe and Overnight programming became 10 percent and 12 percent more Democratic than Republican – a 22- and 28-point shift, respectively.”

Whitlock wasted little time in directly answering Carlson’s question about ESPN championing Leftist ideals instead of sticking to sports.

“I think you’ve asked the right question,” Whitlock replied. “I think cord-cutting has a lot to do with their subscriber and the viewership loss, but the animosity and some of the viewership loss – I do think – is a direct result of their lurch to the Left, and injecting progressive victimology into the sports conversation.”
The same trend appeared with ESPN2.

“The same is true across other ESPN properties,” Deep Root added. “ESPN2 skewed Republican across most dayparts in 2015; in 2016 all dayparts skewed Democratic. Every daypart also switched on ESPN News from 2015 to 2016.”

A more detailed explanation for viewers’ shift away from ESPN was then provided by the sports commentator.

“If you really understand sports culture, and all the values taught in sports – from Little League, Pee Wee, on – you’re never a victim,” Whitlock explained. “There are never any excuses that are accepted. Every coach teaches every play from 5 years old to 45 years old. We don’t tolerate excuses, we don’t tolerate victimology, and now so much of the conversation by the sports media – ESPN being the leader of this – is just filled with so-and-so is a victim, Colin Kaepernick is a victim, everybody’s a victim. It’s turning traditional sports fans off.”

Carlson did not understand why ESPN would knowingly sacrifice its viewership to promote its politics when it is supposed to be in solely the sports business.

“It doesn’t take a sports expert to predict something like that,” Carlson responded to Whitlock. “People go to sports as a refuge from things like politics. So why would you throw it in the face of viewers, what is the point of that?”
His guest noted how so many media channels influenced by corporate giants have prioritized pushing Left-leaning politics while forgetting about a large sector of Americans leaning to the Right – or simply not caring about them.

“I think, again, so much of the media has moved Left,” Whitlock addressed the question. “I’ve written about this and talked about this, and it applies to ESPN, but it also applies to all the media. Silicon Valley, Google, Facebook, Twitter, is now in control of the mainstream media.

Everyone is catering all of their content to Silicon Valley and San Francisco values. That’s far different than the old media, which catered everything to New York traditional liberal values. The values in San Francisco [are] a bit more revolutionary, a bit more progressive, than a traditional New York-based media.”

Taking blows, still leaning Left

Despite major blows to its conservative viewership, ESPN has continued to steer its reporting and coverage slant hard to the Left.

“t was announced ESPN is laying off upwards of 100 employees – many of whom are prominent on-air talent,” Deep Root reported late last month.

And even more devastating to the sports network – besides having to drop Major League Baseball reporter Jayson Stark, veteran National Football League reporter Ed Werder, SportsCenter anchors Chris Hassel, Jay Crawford and Jaymee Sire, along with numerous others – it is losing millions of subscribers.

“The Deep Root report also comes not long after Nielsen Media Research reported ESPN had lost roughly 10,000,000 subscribers in the last five years,” The Washington Examiner reported.

It was then noted by the D.C. daily that ESPN’s Leftist slant might not be the only reason for the drop off, in an apparent attempt to discount the political reasoning behind the exodus.

“Though there’s an argument to be made that the cable news group’s failing subscriptions and ratings have something to do with the company’s increasingly political commentary, it’s important to remember that the trend of Americans moving away from cable bundles is also likely a huge factor in all of this,” the Examiner’s Becket Adams inserted.

Take it or leave it

Making no apologies for pushing its progressive views and coverage on audiences, the network apparently has no intention of laying off its agenda to push its politics through sports.

“Sports has always intersected with culture and politics,” the network’s Jim Brady expressed on his ESPN blog earlier this month. “It isn’t a recent phenomenon; it’s been true for more than a century. There is no denying that culture, sports and politics are fused together more today than at any time in recent memory, and there’s an argument to be made that ESPN is rightfully taking advantage of that trend.”

He went on to impress that those who have a problem with ESPN pushing its liberal agenda just need to get used to it … or find other sports coverage to watch – which is exactly what more and more Americans are continuing to do.

“Those of you who have not held your tongue about ESPN’s move away from an all-sports-all-the-time mantra also should not hold your breath waiting for a change,” Brady advised. “ESPN has made it clear: It’s not sticking to sports.”
—-
Copyright OneNewsNow.com. Reprinted with permission.

 

[BleedingPurple]

Most people watch espn for sports. People like myself dont want to hear or see political opinions when watching sports. Espn has went down the drain with their shit shows and commentary. Just show the games and highlights.Normal people dont want hear Stephen A Smit yapping......its very annoying.

This and now they have too many women. Seriously how many people here talk to women at length about their sports teams?

 

[bodyforlife]

I really hadn't noticed, but typically, the volume is turned down at my workplace when the TV is on. I'm usually laughing at the silly videos being played on this show that is on between 1-2 pst (don't even know the name of it). I haven't watched SportsCenter at any length for years and typically only watch live events on the channel. One thing that is missing from this conversation is what percentage of the whole does this loss of subscribers represent.

 

[Acebb]

[h=1]ESPN's Surrender to Grim New Reality[/h]
The reality is that the glory days are over for ESPN. Instead of making the $6.4 billion it earned in 2014, it’ll soon be earning $2 billion or less. Iger, or his successor, will have to decide whether to invest in it or to let it hobble along in its diminished shape. Disney will have to decide whether to keep paying megabucks for professional sports rights — thinking of them as loss leaders like the Olympics for NBC — or whether to give up those rights to save money. If it does the former, ESPN’s profits will dwindle even more. If it does the latter, fewer sports fans will want to subscribe.

 

[SheriffJoe]

Disney and its properties, from ESPN to Marvel, obsessively push left-wing politics while alienating their own customers

Disney CEO: we’ve given ESPN license to push left-wing politics

By Daniel Greenfield-- BombThrowers——Previous Articles--October 6, 2017

A fish rots from the head. So does Disney.

If you want to understand why Disney and its properties, from ESPN to Marvel, obsessively push left-wing politics while alienating their own customers, there are worse places to start than with Disney’s Darth Vader, CEO Bob Iger.

Bob Iger, CEO of The Walt Disney Company has said he stands behind ESPN’s politically-vocal employee Jamele Hill, and has empathy for those NFL players who take a knee during the national anthem…


​

Iger also revealed that he intervened in support of Jamele Hill.

“I’ve not ever experienced prejudice and certainly not racism,” Iger went on, “so it’s hard for me to understand what they’re feeling about this, what it feel like to experience racism, so I felt that we need to take into account what Jemele and other people at ESPN were feeling at this time. That resulted in us not taking action on the Tweet that she put out.”

Iger also acknowledged the NFL athletes who have lately not been standing for the national anthem, and those other ESPN employees who feel strongly on the subject, saying, “I think athletes in many cases feel that they have an obligation. Having earned the voice that they’ve earned as successful athletes, to speak out on various issues that are meaningful to them, so we’ve given ESPN license to do it.”
​

License is indeed a good word.

Meanwhile, Iger would also like to push for gun control.

Some might have been critical about calls for gun control following the tragic mass shooting in Las Vegas on Sunday, saying it’s disrespectful to discuss politics so soon, but Disney CEO Bob Iger railed against that idea at the Vanity Fair summit on Tuesday. “I don’t think this is politics,” he said. “I think this is a crisis.”
​

All his armed guards no doubt agree.

This article first appeared at FrontPageM

 

[GasMan]

5teamparlay has some bump material for 2021.

Only a true idiotic pyschopath would think ESPN has lost subscribers because of a perceived political idealogy.

Jesus Joe.....give it up already.

I've stopped watching, moron.

 

[Acebb]

[h=1]Sources: ESPN heading for more painful layoffs[/h]
The next round of cutbacks could come down in late November or early December, with 40-60 positions potentially being impacted, according to sources. The layoffs could hit both on-air TV/radio talent and behind-the-scenes production staffers.

​

"This time it won't matter if you're 'liked' or not. It's not going to be pretty," one source warned.

 

[Acebb]

[FONT=&quot]ESPN will lay off more than 100 staffers after the Thanksgiving holidays, multiple sources tell [/FONT]Sports Illustrated[FONT=&quot]. The layoffs, which were described by a person briefed on the plans, will hit positions across ESPN including front-facing talent on the television side, producers, executives, and digital and technology staffers. The SportsCenter franchise is expected to be hit hard—including on-air people—given the frequency of the show has lessened considerably on main network ESPN.[/FONT]

 

[Hamilbet]

Disney Could Be Buying a Substantial Part of FOX, Which Is a Huge Deal for ESPN


Wow. Big news today.
From CNBC:

Walt Disney Co. and 21st Century Fox are closing in on a deal and it could come as soon as next week, according to sources familiar with the matter.CNBC has been reporting that Disney has held talks with the Rupert Murdoch-controlled media company to acquire its studio and television production assets, leaving Fox with its news and sports assets. Fox is also talking to CNBC parent company Comcast, but the talks with Disney have progressed more significantly.The deal contemplates the sale of Fox’s A&E, Star, regional sports networks, movie studios and stakes in Sky and Hulu, among other properties. What would remain at Fox includes its news and business news divisions, broadcast network and Fox sports.​

Disney will reportedly get FOX’s regional sports networks, which are basically everywhere there is not a NBC Sports regional network. What the deal won’t include, however, is FS1.
The deal will have a huge impact across the entertainment and media landscape, including sports. If it goes through as reported, Disney (ABC, ESPN) would instantly have a sports network in a substantial number of major cities. That would include the broadcast rights for, oh, just the Thunder, Cavs, Cardinals, Hawks, Braves, Mavericks, Spurs, Heat and Yankees, among many others. FOX would retain FOX Sports (network broadcasts) and FS1.
On the surface, this would seem like a great deal for Disney (ESPN) since regional sports networks are indispensable to sports fans– even those who cut the cord wind up with a service like PlayStation Vue or YouTube TV, which pay fees to those networks. Some Tweets on the matter:

Sports TV Ratings@SportsTVRatings


This is the story of the day. From Disney's perspective, I totally get it. From Fox's? Unless they are bailing on sports entirely (NFL, CFB, etc) on the broadcast net and Disney is just saying NAH to FS1...I don't get it. https://twitter.com/ericjackson/status/938055430160314369 …
10:03 AM - Dec 5, 2017​

Sports TV Ratings@SportsTVRatings


Stop what? ESPN: HUGE affiliate fees. RSN's: HUGE affiliate fees. FS1: OK affiliate fees. Fox broadcast: has lagged (particularly relative to CBS) growing affiliate fees. The business models look different to me and the RSN/ESPN version looks like a much better model to me. https://twitter.com/medic564/status/938064933966745601 …
10:22 AM - Dec 5, 2017​

Ryan Glasspiegel@sportsrapport


If this winds up being true, you cannot overstate how massive a paradigm shift this is in sports media. Most Fox Sports profits come from RSNs. Wonder if/how these could be integrated into ESPN OTT. Wow. https://twitter.com/ericjackson/status/938055430160314369 …
9:58 AM - Dec 5, 2017
​

What’s more, last year FOX Sports cited in their own press release the importance of regional sports networks:

FOX Sports today released the results of “The 5th Network: Regional Sports Network Passion Index,” a Nielsen Media Analytics Primary Research study finding that sports fans rate regional sports networks (RSNs) as their most essential non-broadcast channels.​

Just spitballing here, but ESPN has lacked a “TV” (now including streaming video) presence in individual markets, leaving sports fans to turn elsewhere for local game broadcasts. They won’t get one everywhere now, but they’ll have one in a lot of cities, which suddenly makes for a no so fast, my friends to those hastening the demise of ESPN. We can all do without First Take, but can we do without our hometown MLB and NBA games? Probably not. I wouldn’t be shocked if an eventual ESPN streaming option included local sports in the cities where they would own RSNs, making it a must-subscribe for sports fans.
Meanwhile, FOX has an increasingly polarizing FOX News, and FS1, which is good for basically nothing but Villanova basketball and making fun of Nick’s Wright giant fucking nose.