I have a dumb question then. I thought most cable subscribers required the ESPN package to get access to the SEC Network.

Is this not so?

Madman said:

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Quote:

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Yesterday Nielsen announced its subscriber numbers for November 2016 and those numbers were the worst in the history of ESPN's existence as a cable company -- the worldwide leader in sports lost 621,000 cable subscribers. That's the most subscribers ESPN has ever lost in a month according to Nielsen estimates and it represents a terrifying and troubling trend for the company, an acceleration of subscriber loss that represents a doubling of the average losses over the past couple of years, when ESPN has been losing in the neighborhood of 300,000 subscribers a month.

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Maybe if they didn't try to be social justice warriors, give awards to trannies, and **** up every broadcast with human interest stories some of this wouldn't be happening.

---

POTD. I was thinking this very same thing and you beat me to it. When will these dildos learn that every time they try and interject and force their SJW crap down people's throats that it will turn people away? They can't keep their pie holes quiet. People want to watch ESPN for SPORTS, and that's it. If we wanted to entertain ourselves with politics we'd watch a news channel.

Synopsis said:

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Madman said:

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Quote:

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Yesterday Nielsen announced its subscriber numbers for November 2016 and those numbers were the worst in the history of ESPN's existence as a cable company -- the worldwide leader in sports lost 621,000 cable subscribers. That's the most subscribers ESPN has ever lost in a month according to Nielsen estimates and it represents a terrifying and troubling trend for the company, an acceleration of subscriber loss that represents a doubling of the average losses over the past couple of years, when ESPN has been losing in the neighborhood of 300,000 subscribers a month.

---

Maybe if they didn't try to be social justice warriors, give awards to trannies, and **** up every broadcast with human interest stories some of this wouldn't be happening.

---

POTD. I was thinking this very same thing and you beat me to it. When will these dildos learn that every time they try and interject and force their SJW crap down people's throats that it will turn people away? They can't keep their pie holes quiet. People want to watch ESPN for SPORTS, and that's it. If we wanted to entertain ourselves with politics we'd watch a news channel.

---

I still do not understand these types of posts. I see , over and over, the info where it is claimed that ESPN lost xxxxxxxx subs blah blah blah. I keep asking where is it possible to drop JUST ESPN ? I see NO option to add or drop JUST ESPN in any sat/cable or whatnot. Sure there are upgrade " sports" packages that add in a few of the ESPNsubs and the regional networks but I don't think that you can add or drop ESPN by itself. Where are these numbers coming from ? ESPN (main) is on all of the basic bottomish tier packages that I know of. Example..If you have any UVERSE package you get ESPN. If I drop ALL of Uverse does it count against that ESPN loss number quoted above ? If so this is bogus. NOW..I can tel you that after college football season I delete ALL sports channels from my custom guides since I am not interested in any sports other than college football and have no use for talking heads blabbering on and on. However there is no tracking our guides or our actual viewing habits, the technology is just not there.

The Original AG 76 said:

---

Synopsis said:

---

Madman said:

---

'

Quote:

---

Yesterday Nielsen announced its subscriber numbers for November 2016 and those numbers were the worst in the history of ESPN's existence as a cable company -- the worldwide leader in sports lost 621,000 cable subscribers. That's the most subscribers ESPN has ever lost in a month according to Nielsen estimates and it represents a terrifying and troubling trend for the company, an acceleration of subscriber loss that represents a doubling of the average losses over the past couple of years, when ESPN has been losing in the neighborhood of 300,000 subscribers a month.

---

Maybe if they didn't try to be social justice warriors, give awards to trannies, and **** up every broadcast with human interest stories some of this wouldn't be happening.

---

POTD. I was thinking this very same thing and you beat me to it. When will these dildos learn that every time they try and interject and force their SJW crap down people's throats that it will turn people away? They can't keep their pie holes quiet. People want to watch ESPN for SPORTS, and that's it. If we wanted to entertain ourselves with politics we'd watch a news channel.

---

I still do not understand these types of posts. I see , over and over, the info where it is claimed that ESPN lost xxxxxxxx subs blah blah blah. I keep asking where is it possible to drop JUST ESPN ? I see NO option to add or drop JUST ESPN in any sat/cable or whatnot. Sure there are upgrade " sports" packages that add in a few of the ESPNsubs and the regional networks but I don't think that you can add or drop ESPN by itself. Where are these numbers coming from ? ESPN (main) is on all of the basic bottomish tier packages that I know of. Example..If you have any UVERSE package you get ESPN. If I drop ALL of Uverse does it count against that ESPN loss number quoted above ? If so this is bogus. NOW..I can tel you that after college football season I delete ALL sports channels from my custom guides since I am not interested in any sports other than college football and have no use for talking heads blabbering on and on. However there is no tracking our guides or our actual viewing habits, the technology is just not there.

---

ESPN's lost subscribers are people who canceled their cable service. Like you said, ESPN is pretty much the bottom tier for any provider.

But, that does materially impact ESPN's bottom line, which is why these numbers are reported. No, it isn't some kind of backlash against ESPN being SJW's because those same people also cut Fox sports too, and they cut CNN along with Fox News.

ESPN has a lot of air time to fill in between sports events. You could argue that maybe they have too many channels, but the reality is sporting events are lumpy. There are a ton of college football games on saturdays in the fall, so you need lots of channels (and alternates) to show those. But there isn't much going on at 10AM on a Wednesday, so now you have to fill all those channels with either reruns of the sports events or talk shows.

BiochemAg97 said:

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The Original AG 76 said:

---

Synopsis said:

---

Madman said:

---

'

Quote:

---

Yesterday Nielsen announced its subscriber numbers for November 2016 and those numbers were the worst in the history of ESPN's existence as a cable company -- the worldwide leader in sports lost 621,000 cable subscribers. That's the most subscribers ESPN has ever lost in a month according to Nielsen estimates and it represents a terrifying and troubling trend for the company, an acceleration of subscriber loss that represents a doubling of the average losses over the past couple of years, when ESPN has been losing in the neighborhood of 300,000 subscribers a month.

---

Maybe if they didn't try to be social justice warriors, give awards to trannies, and **** up every broadcast with human interest stories some of this wouldn't be happening.

---

POTD. I was thinking this very same thing and you beat me to it. When will these dildos learn that every time they try and interject and force their SJW crap down people's throats that it will turn people away? They can't keep their pie holes quiet. People want to watch ESPN for SPORTS, and that's it. If we wanted to entertain ourselves with politics we'd watch a news channel.

---

I still do not understand these types of posts. I see , over and over, the info where it is claimed that ESPN lost xxxxxxxx subs blah blah blah. I keep asking where is it possible to drop JUST ESPN ? I see NO option to add or drop JUST ESPN in any sat/cable or whatnot. Sure there are upgrade " sports" packages that add in a few of the ESPNsubs and the regional networks but I don't think that you can add or drop ESPN by itself. Where are these numbers coming from ? ESPN (main) is on all of the basic bottomish tier packages that I know of. Example..If you have any UVERSE package you get ESPN. If I drop ALL of Uverse does it count against that ESPN loss number quoted above ? If so this is bogus. NOW..I can tel you that after college football season I delete ALL sports channels from my custom guides since I am not interested in any sports other than college football and have no use for talking heads blabbering on and on. However there is no tracking our guides or our actual viewing habits, the technology is just not there.

---

ESPN's lost subscribers are people who canceled their cable service. Like you said, ESPN is pretty much the bottom tier for any provider.

But, that does materially impact ESPN's bottom line, which is why these numbers are reported. No, it isn't some kind of backlash against ESPN being SJW's because those same people also cut Fox sports too, and they cut CNN along with Fox News.

ESPN has a lot of air time to fill in between sports events. You could argue that maybe they have too many channels, but the reality is sporting events are lumpy. There are a ton of college football games on saturdays in the fall, so you need lots of channels (and alternates) to show those. But there isn't much going on at 10AM on a Wednesday, so now you have to fill all those channels with either reruns of the sports events or talk shows.

---

So you agree that all of the " people are punishing ESPN by cancelling " is 100% BOGUS. You CAN NOT cancel ESPN alone. I seriously doubt that many folks are cutting off their ENTIRE service just because of ESPN. I guess that maybe perhaps there are a few that have cable/sat JUST for the sports stuff and maybe they are pissed but it can't be a number worth even mentioning.

BiochemAg97 said:

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ESPN has a lot of air time to fill in between sports events. You could argue that maybe they have too many channels, but the reality is sporting events are lumpy. There are a ton of college football games on saturdays in the fall, so you need lots of channels (and alternates) to show those. But there isn't much going on at 10AM on a Wednesday, so now you have to fill all those channels with either reruns of the sports events or talk shows.

---

Good summary. We are to blame. We demanded sports content and ESPN obliged. If people will recall the terrible stuff which used to come on during the daytime on ESPN... lumberjack challenges, strongmen competition, 70s era NFL replays... Lots of garbage.

Looking back, that sort of filler would be welcome if it means ditching the agenda-driven crap and talking head blowhards on ESPN today.

RPM said:

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BiochemAg97 said:

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ESPN has a lot of air time to fill in between sports events. You could argue that maybe they have too many channels, but the reality is sporting events are lumpy. There are a ton of college football games on saturdays in the fall, so you need lots of channels (and alternates) to show those. But there isn't much going on at 10AM on a Wednesday, so now you have to fill all those channels with either reruns of the sports events or talk shows.

---

Good summary. We are to blame. We demanded sports content and ESPN obliged. If people will recall the terrible stuff which used to come on during the daytime on ESPN... lumberjack challenges, strongmen competition, 70s era NFL replays... Lots of garbage.

Looking back, that sort of filler would be welcome if it means ditching the agenda-driven crap and talking head blowhards on ESPN today.

---

Oh, I'm sure they still have the lumberjack challenges, strongmen competitions, and decades old NFL replays. They just live on another ESPN channel.

Same thing happened with 24hr news network. It was great to get your news whenever you wanted and not have to wait until 6pm (or whenever), but eventually they started filling the hours with constant chatter and "analysis". I think at one point CNN had both a talking head channel and a every 30 minutes repeat channel for a while. Maybe they still do, but I don't want news on TV anymore.

RPM said:

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BiochemAg97 said:

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ESPN has a lot of air time to fill in between sports events. You could argue that maybe they have too many channels, but the reality is sporting events are lumpy. There are a ton of college football games on saturdays in the fall, so you need lots of channels (and alternates) to show those. But there isn't much going on at 10AM on a Wednesday, so now you have to fill all those channels with either reruns of the sports events or talk shows.

---

Good summary. We are to blame. We demanded sports content and ESPN obliged. If people will recall the terrible stuff which used to come on during the daytime on ESPN... lumberjack challenges, strongmen competition, 70s era NFL replays... Lots of garbage.

Looking back, that sort of filler would be welcome if it means ditching the agenda-driven crap and talking head blowhards on ESPN today.

---

I love lumberjack challenges.

It isn't 100 percent bogus to say folks are canceling espn. It drives many things in pricing and I'm sure there are plenty of people who don't care for sports who realize that.

VanZandt92 said:

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It isn't 100 percent bogus to say folks are canceling espn. It drives many things in pricing and I'm sure there are plenty of people who don't care for sports who realize that.

---

Hell most of The Nerdery and Entertainment forums on Texags are made up of video gamers Marvel comic book and Star Wars fans. They aren't spending their time watching NBA. And they'll turn off that damn cable as long as they have high speed to play games.

I still don't get the logic of pulling out of the satellite market by Direct. There is a vast amount of satellite market out there that won't get good streaming Internet speeds probably ever. They're just going to cede that to Dish Network? And then Dish will have little incentive to keep prices down?

Squadron7 said:

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VanZandt92 said:

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Do people actually watch NFL? I don't know I've been raising kids for decades it seems. And Sunday is an all family day.

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I used to, but I just lost interest. I used to be a big Cowboys fan back in the day, but with professional sports there are just zero stakes in it for me.

With college sports you have schools to identify with. The guys playing went to your school (and may even be your kid's contemporaries).

With the Pro's? Nothing.

I just can't generate any interest for or find some sort of an attachment to any pro any more.

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I agree man. I feel like such an "outsider" these days b/c I really only watch Aggie sports and don't give a lick about the Cowboys, the Mavs, the Stars, or the Rangers in my backyard. I used to. After the Mavs won it all in 2011, I couldn't have cared less. All my co-workers chat about it and think I'm a weirdo.

I have learned too much insider data about the true nature of the players and the owners that it has soured the game for me. Plus with free agency, you never know who is on your team year to year.

Like you said, at least with college, you have somewhat of a stake in it, so a constant churning roster is not only organic for college sports, but personally relevant in some cases. There are bad dudes and knuckle heads playing for the Aggies, too, but at least it's "my family" so to speak.

Important to note that this segment of Disney is still reporting a profit, but it is reduced. If they can continue to cut costs and remove waste (like overpaid TV personalities), they might be just fine as they transition their model.

Fortunately for Disney, they are making record $ on their theatrical business which also lifts the merchandising & theme park / resort segments.

VanZandt92 said:

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I still don't get the logic of pulling out of the satellite market by Direct. There is a vast amount of satellite market out there that won't get good streaming Internet speeds probably ever. They're just going to cede that to Dish Network? And then Dish will have little incentive to keep prices down?

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I don't think they are pulling out of the market. When AT&T acquired DirecTV, they just started combining all the television offerings under the DirecTV banner. So, when AT&T decided to start an over the top service, they did it using the DirecTV label.

VanZandt92 said:

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I still don't get the logic of pulling out of the satellite market by Direct. There is a vast amount of satellite market out there that won't get good streaming Internet speeds probably ever. They're just going to cede that to Dish Network? And then Dish will have little incentive to keep prices down?

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I don't think they are pulling out of satellite. Just expanding into a new market.

The Original AG 76 said:

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BiochemAg97 said:

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The Original AG 76 said:

---

Synopsis said:

---

Madman said:

---

'

Quote:

---

Yesterday Nielsen announced its subscriber numbers for November 2016 and those numbers were the worst in the history of ESPN's existence as a cable company -- the worldwide leader in sports lost 621,000 cable subscribers. That's the most subscribers ESPN has ever lost in a month according to Nielsen estimates and it represents a terrifying and troubling trend for the company, an acceleration of subscriber loss that represents a doubling of the average losses over the past couple of years, when ESPN has been losing in the neighborhood of 300,000 subscribers a month.

---

Maybe if they didn't try to be social justice warriors, give awards to trannies, and **** up every broadcast with human interest stories some of this wouldn't be happening.

---

POTD. I was thinking this very same thing and you beat me to it. When will these dildos learn that every time they try and interject and force their SJW crap down people's throats that it will turn people away? They can't keep their pie holes quiet. People want to watch ESPN for SPORTS, and that's it. If we wanted to entertain ourselves with politics we'd watch a news channel.

---

I still do not understand these types of posts. I see , over and over, the info where it is claimed that ESPN lost xxxxxxxx subs blah blah blah. I keep asking where is it possible to drop JUST ESPN ? I see NO option to add or drop JUST ESPN in any sat/cable or whatnot. Sure there are upgrade " sports" packages that add in a few of the ESPNsubs and the regional networks but I don't think that you can add or drop ESPN by itself. Where are these numbers coming from ? ESPN (main) is on all of the basic bottomish tier packages that I know of. Example..If you have any UVERSE package you get ESPN. If I drop ALL of Uverse does it count against that ESPN loss number quoted above ? If so this is bogus. NOW..I can tel you that after college football season I delete ALL sports channels from my custom guides since I am not interested in any sports other than college football and have no use for talking heads blabbering on and on. However there is no tracking our guides or our actual viewing habits, the technology is just not there.

---

ESPN's lost subscribers are people who canceled their cable service. Like you said, ESPN is pretty much the bottom tier for any provider.

But, that does materially impact ESPN's bottom line, which is why these numbers are reported. No, it isn't some kind of backlash against ESPN being SJW's because those same people also cut Fox sports too, and they cut CNN along with Fox News.

ESPN has a lot of air time to fill in between sports events. You could argue that maybe they have too many channels, but the reality is sporting events are lumpy. There are a ton of college football games on saturdays in the fall, so you need lots of channels (and alternates) to show those. But there isn't much going on at 10AM on a Wednesday, so now you have to fill all those channels with either reruns of the sports events or talk shows.

---

So you agree that all of the " people are punishing ESPN by cancelling " is 100% BOGUS. You CAN NOT cancel ESPN alone. I seriously doubt that many folks are cutting off their ENTIRE service just because of ESPN. I guess that maybe perhaps there are a few that have cable/sat JUST for the sports stuff and maybe they are pissed but it can't be a number worth even mentioning.

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Basic cable packages do not include espn. Downgrading your package is effectively canceling espn.

Do what I did - get rid of your cable or dish or U-verse altogether. It was the best decision I've made.

33 said:

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Do what I did - get rid of your cable or dish or U-verse altogether. It was the best decision I've made.

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TexAgs is really all you need.

goodAg80 said:

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33 said:

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Do what I did - get rid of your cable or dish or U-verse altogether. It was the best decision I've made.

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TexAgs is really all you need.

---

Exactly. I don't need to hear the opinions of fools on ESPN, I can come here for expert... uh...oh.... wait a minute.

The millennials so no value in the $150 month cable bill. As long as they can get their wireless, they can game and stream shows. I know the press will focus on ESPN because they are the big boy and by far most expensive Cable fee, but the others such like TBS, CNN, Fox, AMC, etc get hosed by cord cutters. As the millennials have kids, they will be able to watch kids shows on streaming services also.

Anyone interested in this new SC6 garbage they are promoting. Who are these people? It seems like they are doubling down on political/ social justise commentary.

McInnis80 said:

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The millennials so no value in the $150 month cable bill. As long as they can get their wireless, they can game and stream shows. I know the press will focus on ESPN because they are the big boy and by far most expensive Cable fee, but the others such like TBS, CNN, Fox, AMC, etc get hosed by cord cutters. As the millennials have kids, they will be able to watch kids shows on streaming services also.

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I heard that U-verse/Direct is going to a no-cable wifi only service.

2wealfth Man said:

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Anyone interested in this new SC6 garbage they are promoting. Who are these people? It seems like they are doubling down on political/ social justise commentary.

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sounds a kindlier sports center for Occupy millennial social justice warriors. Disgusting.

Quote:

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Unique Set Design and Look

The SC6 set will incorporate an urban, contemporary theme resembling a loft space, with elements of wood and white brick and dominant colors of black, white and blue. Backdrops and light boxes will include elements personally chosen by Smith and Hill to represent their home allegiances (New Orleans and Detroit) and common interests (comic books, food, pop culture, clothing and more).

---

http://www.laughingplace.com/w/news/2017/01/30/michael-jemeles-sc6-debuts-espn-february-6/

Espn profit tumbling as network turns left
http://www.outkickthecoverage.com/espn-profit-plummets-as-network-turns-left-020817

I could see them cancelling some of their money losing operations -- like the LHN. Last year, they pulled the plug on LHN studio shows to save money.

2wealfth Man said:

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Espn profit tumbling as network turns left
http://www.outkickthecoverage.com/espn-profit-plummets-as-network-turns-left-020817

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I really don't think their SJW / left turn has much to do with it. The current TV model is crumbling, and they are the biggest player with the most long-term fixed expense. They probably should have attempted to negotiate deals where their partners bore some of the risk/reward (partial ownership).

CJS4715 said:

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2wealfth Man said:

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Espn profit tumbling as network turns left
http://www.outkickthecoverage.com/espn-profit-plummets-as-network-turns-left-020817

---

I really don't think their SJW / left turn has much to do with it. The current TV model is crumbling, and they are the biggest player with the most long-term fixed expense. They probably should have attempted to negotiate deals where their partners bore some of the risk/reward (partial ownership).

---

Clay is saying that the turn left is a RESULT of the cord-cutting, not the cause.

Quote:

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The result of this coming financial calamity has been panic, which has primarily manifested itself in a desperate ploy for relevance. ESPN decided to become a social justice warrior network, treating all liberal opinion makers as those worthy of promotion and casting aside all those who had the gall to challenge the new Disney world order.

---

This could actually get real interesting going forward, especially if Disney shareholders get tired of the earnings drag that ESPN has become (and the huge financial commitments for rights sitting on the wrong side of the balance sheet). My guess would be if there is any divestment, new stakeholders would want the beneficiaries of the deals (i.e. the sports leagues) to take a haircut in exchange for more of a profit sharing arrangement. Think something akin to the situation in Greece a few years back where the government had to push hard austerity measure on pension holders, government employees, etc. in order to get their debt restructured.

Awww, I see that now.

MooreTrucker said:

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CJS4715 said:

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2wealfth Man said:

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Espn profit tumbling as network turns left
http://www.outkickthecoverage.com/espn-profit-plummets-as-network-turns-left-020817

---

I really don't think their SJW / left turn has much to do with it. The current TV model is crumbling, and they are the biggest player with the most long-term fixed expense. They probably should have attempted to negotiate deals where their partners bore some of the risk/reward (partial ownership).

---

Clay is saying that the turn left is a RESULT of the cord-cutting, not the cause.

Quote:

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The result of this coming financial calamity has been panic, which has primarily manifested itself in a desperate ploy for relevance. ESPN decided to become a social justice warrior network, treating all liberal opinion makers as those worthy of promotion and casting aside all those who had the gall to challenge the new Disney world order.

---

---

You have to think this was a play for a bigger chunk of the tv market in big cities where they probably due worse with millenials and blacks and women. They probably thought they were tapped out in rural and southern markets. I think their strategy is backfiring by losing more audience than they gained but who knows.

It's obvious that part of it is that Disney is run by left tilting ideologs...they run all their businesses the same way...theme parks and movie studios. They aren't happy unless they are pushing the culture to the left.

33 said:

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Do what I did - get rid of your cable or dish or U-verse altogether. It was the best decision I've made.

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....said thousands of formerly entitled sips over the past 3-4 years. Probably rates a Wilt Dismal footnote in the Annual Report...."even our most naive viewers..."

2wealfth Man said:

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This could actually get real interesting going forward, especially if Disney shareholders get tired of the earnings drag that ESPN has become (and the huge financial commitments for rights sitting on the wrong side of the balance sheet). My guess would be if there is any divestment, new stakeholders would want the beneficiaries of the deals (i.e. the sports leagues) to take a haircut in exchange for more of a profit sharing arrangement. Think something akin to the situation in Greece a few years back where the government had to push hard austerity measure on pension holders, government employees, etc. in order to get their debt restructured.

---

That would create chaos for the NBA, since their salary cap made a huge jump due to the new ESPN/Turner deal.

SlackerAg said:

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I could see them cancelling some of their money losing operations -- like the LHN. Last year, they pulled the plug on LHN studio shows to save money.

---

Problem for everyone is canceling the LHN will lose them money. They are contractually obligated to pay tu the 300mil over 20 yrs. by canceling they could save the operating costs, but they also lose the revenue. From accounts I have seen, the LHN isn't so far in the hole that they are not at least covering the operating costs, and it would appear they are covering part of their tu payment as well.

BiochemAg97 said:

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SlackerAg said:

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I could see them cancelling some of their money losing operations -- like the LHN. Last year, they pulled the plug on LHN studio shows to save money.

---

Problem for everyone is canceling the LHN will lose them money. They are contractually obligated to pay tu the 300mil over 20 yrs. by canceling they could save the operating costs, but they also lose the revenue. From accounts I have seen, the LHN isn't so far in the hole that they are not at least covering the operating costs, and it would appear they are covering part of their tu payment as well.

---

Unless there is an out for ESPN in the contract. The copies of the contract on the Web that were obtained through the FOIA had entire paragraphs that were redacted. I would be surprised if there wasn't some kind of nuclear option for ESPN to pull the rug on the thing in case of disaster.