ESPN Announces Layoffs

[Hondo69]

ESPN let go of 100 of its writers, reporters and on-air staff yesterday.  The total number of employees at ESPN is reported to be about 8,000.

http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2017/04/27/espn-lays-off-about-100-employees-including-danny-kanell-ed-werder.html

https://www.recode.net/2017/4/26/15439446/espn-layoffs-subscribers-content-cost-chart

The company has been bleeding subscribers over the past few years severely cutting revenues while costs continue to increase year after year.  Before yesterday's layoffs, notable on-air talent such as Tom Jackson had been let go.  Chris Berman followed shortly thereafter.



Disney, the parent company, is unlikely to provide the real story behind the layoffs.

[DiogenesLamp]

This is politics?   



Just kidding.  Everything is politics.  I am just making a point. 

[Hondo69]

[1] The NFL has become so popular they can charge TV companies whatever they want for games.  There is no negotiation, the NFL just announces the cost and it is what it is.  Companies like ESPN have to simply pony up whatever the price.

The NFL also picks and chooses which networks receive the best games.  Sunday Night Football has become very popular because they get great games and have excellent announcers.  On the other hand, Monday Night Football is in the tank.  The games awarded to MNF are real stinkers and viewers are saddled with Gruden as one of the announcers, who makes you want to throw your shoe at the TV.

Rumors have it that giving ESPN real stinkers for games is the NFL's way of punishing the company for their on-air reporting which is very unkind to the commissioner.


[2] Disney/ESPN can't keep politics separate from sports.  Their far left views are not lost on subscribers, many who have cancelled their ESPN subscriptions.  And it's not cheap.  Somewhere around $12 of your cable bill goes towards ESPN if you have subscribed to their channel.  It's easy to do the math and losing 10 million subscribers cuts to the bone.


[3] Other factors such as internet viewing and competition from Fox Sports surely plays a part as well.  Still, this is a self-inflicted wound.  Disney chose their own path and are now paying the price.  I would fully expect more layoffs are to follow.

In the end this is a familiar story, one of an inflated image of one's own self importance and failing to adapt to changes in the marketplace.

[Emjay]

[1] The NFL has become so popular they can charge TV companies whatever they want for games.  There is no negotiation, the NFL just announces the cost and it is what it is.  Companies like ESPN have to simply pony up whatever the price.

The NFL also picks and chooses which networks receive the best games.  Sunday Night Football has become very popular because they get great games and have excellent announcers.  On the other hand, Monday Night Football is in the tank.  The games awarded to MNF are real stinkers and viewers are saddled with Gruden as one of the announcers, who makes you want to throw your shoe at the TV.

Rumors have it that giving ESPN real stinkers for games is the NFL's way of punishing the company for their on-air reporting which is very unkind to the commissioner.


[2] Disney/ESPN can't keep politics separate from sports.  Their far left views are not lost on subscribers, many who have cancelled their ESPN subscriptions.  And it's not cheap.  Somewhere around $12 of your cable bill goes towards ESPN if you have subscribed to their channel.  It's easy to do the math and losing 10 million subscribers cuts to the bone.


[3] Other factors such as internet viewing and competition from Fox Sports surely plays a part as well.  Still, this is a self-inflicted wound.  Disney chose their own path and are now paying the price.  I would fully expect more layoffs are to follow.

In the end this is a familiar story, one of an inflated image of one's own self importance and failing to adapt to changes in the marketplace.

Nice summary.  So, were the laid off workers on-air people or behind the scenes people?  Because everyone is assuming it's a protest against unlikable on-air people who make annoying leftist political comments.

[Maj. Bill Martin]

[1] The NFL has become so popular they can charge TV companies whatever they want for games.  There is no negotiation, the NFL just announces the cost and it is what it is.  Companies like ESPN have to simply pony up whatever the price.

CBS, Fox, ABC, and NBC chose not to pony up that price.  ESPN was stupid for overpaying.

So, were the laid off workers on-air people or behind the scenes people?  Because everyone is assuming it's a protest against unlikable on-air people who make annoying leftist political comments.

Lots of on-air talent was canned, though the most annoying lefties weren't simply because their tentacles are in too deep, and there would be lefty outrage if they were canned.

And it's tough to draw causation.  For example, I've heard that leftist Jamele Hill on the radio a few times, and it soured me on the entire network.  So, I don't listen to/watch any of their original content any more.  But that kind of reaction represents an across the board loss of revenue that isn't directly attributable to her. 

[geronl]

Nice summary.  So, were the laid off workers on-air people or behind the scenes people?  Because everyone is assuming it's a protest against unlikable on-air people who make annoying leftist political comments.

A lot of on-air people are gone, but not the annoying leftists.

[Night Hides Not]

A lot of on-air people are gone, but not the annoying leftists.

The annoying Power 5 homers appear to have been retained. I simply can't believe they canned Andy Katz, one of the best college basketball journalists in the nation. 

[InHeavenThereIsNoBeer]

CBS, Fox, ABC, and NBC chose not to pony up that price.  ESPN was stupid for overpaying.


Lots of on-air talent was canned, though the most annoying lefties weren't simply because their tentacles are in too deep, and there would be lefty outrage if they were canned.

And it's tough to draw causation. 

No, it isn't.  Life is all about how lucky you are.  You must not be paying attention.

[jmyrlefuller]

We'll see how truly hard-up they are if they start selling off some of their rights packages. They already have too many to carry.