ESPN is "The Worldwide Leader in Sports". For several years, about half of the television that I've consumed has been on ESPN, and SportsCenter has been my favorite show for as long as I can remember. Highlights, and on air personalities have been their recipe for success, but ESPN may be headed for trouble. Here are the Top 10 Reasons Why ESPN is Doomed!
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If you like Top 10 lists be sure to check out "Top 10 Dormant Mitten State Franchises" posted on 5/3/2013, "Top 10 Dormant Local Radio Stations" posted on 2/15/2014, and "Top 10 Most Viewed! 500th Post!" posted on 2/4/2015. Click on the link below for more information about ESPN.
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- Too Much Prediction Television
ESPN increasingly shows less games, and has more prediction television. The main reason that people watch sports is because nobody really knows what's going to happen. It is unscripted, and raw television. Too much of the material on ESPN is about what people think is going to happen, and this turns many viewers, and listeners away.
- Repeated Programming
ESPN has several networks, and they all need programming. They rerun almost all of their shows, and air them on their different channels. They also replay several games after drilling the highlights, and scores into our brains. This turns off the viewers that have already seen the material.
Top 10 Reasons Why ESPN Is Doomed!
10. Too Much Change
Have you ever heard the saying don't fix an engine that works? That's exactly what ESPN does regularly on their most popular shows. ESPN moved Cari Champion from "First Take", and recently moved Chris Fowler from "College Game Day". People grow, and learn to like certain shows because of the anchors, and the material. These changes turn some people away.
9. Viewed As Bias
Some people across the Country view ESPN as being bias. Their recent creation of the SEC (Southeast Conference) Network only fuels that fire for some. Other Conferences, and Universities feel that they are portrayed as being inferior to the SEC, and this puts them at a disadvantage with recruiting. This belief causes some fans to change the channel.
8. Too Much Controversy
Several on air personalities at ESPN have recently been either suspended, or fired for their comments. The trouble has also followed some of the anchors off the air as well. ESPN also received heavy criticism for awarding the 2015 Arthur Ashe Award for Courage to Bruce Jenner. Many people felt that Lauren Hill would have been a more worthy recipient. Hill was a Freshman basketball player at Mount St. Joseph University who was suffering from terminal brain cancer. Hill played in 4 games during the 2015 season before serving as the teams Assistant Coach. Lauren Hill died on April 10th at the age of 19. The recent drama at ESPN has turned many viewers away.
7. Too Many Talk Radio Shows
ESPN struck gold in 1998 with the hit show "Mike & Mike. The show aired on ESPN Radio, and was simulcast on television in 2006. "Mike & Mike" continues to be a staple of ESPN, but now it seems like everybody has their own show. It's like they throw a bunch of you know what on a wall to see what sticks. Many of the shows are very similar, and so are the opinions. The talk radio phenomenon has even spread to the local ESPN markets. Listening to the same views, and opinions throughout the day has pushed some sports fans away.
6. ESPN Is Now A Launching Pad
More, and more anchors are constantly leaving ESPN to join other networks. Dan Patrick has a talk radio show on NBC Sports, Doug Gottlieb has his own show on the CBS Sports Network, and Colin Cowherd took "The Herd" to FS1. Other on air personalities have left ESPN for non sports related gigs. Robin Roberts left for "Good Morning America", Josh Elliot works for "NBC News", and Charissa Thompson is on "Extra". It seems like more on air personalities are using ESPN as a launching pad for other ventures. Fans of these on air personalities will sometimes follow them to rival networks, and that drives viewers away.
5. Too Much On Their Plate
ESPN officially launched in 1979, and the company expanded quickly. They added ESPN Radio in 1992, and ESPN 2 in 1993. The monster grew from there, and ESPN added ESPN Classic, ESPNews, ESPN U, ESPN +, ESPN Deportes, The Longhorn Network, and The SEC Network. There are ESPN Films, and there is something called Watch ESPN. The problem is that ESPN needs programming, and employees to fill all of their channels, and services. This costs a lot of money, and ESPN may find that they have too much going on at once.
4. They've Whiffed On Many Popular Sports
ESPN has missed on several popular sports throughout the years. They whiffed on the NHL (National Hockey League), and they've allowed the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship), and the WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) to thrive on networks that are non sports related. ESPN could have invented their own MMA, and Pro Wrestling leagues, but they decided not to. They've sat back in recent years, and they've watched events like World Cup Soccer, and Thursday Night Football appear on other networks (along with the rest of us). Fans are continuing to change the channel to find the sports that they want to watch.
3. They Must Overpay For Programming
The bidding war for programming is at at an all time high. There are always new sports networks arriving on the scene, and they all have to broadcast something. This allows the major sports leagues to grow by increasing their revenue, but somebody has to shell out the bucks. ESPN has to overpay for programming, and the result is prime time selections like Arm Wrestling. The poor programming drives viewers away.
2. The Internet, And Social Media Is Instant
Social media, and the evolution of the internet has made access to information instant. People are more aware of what's taking place in the World of sports, and entertainment. This trend means that less people are waiting around to watch the highlights on SportsCenter. More fans are turning to social media for their news, and that drives views away from ESPN.
1. Too Many Other Networks
ESPN was unique for several years. Many new networks have recently popped up, and their formats are similar to ESPN. There is now FS1, NBC Sports, the CBS Sports Network, the NFL Network, the MLB Network, the NHL Network, NBA TV, The Big Ten Network, and so on. They all use sports tickers near the bottom of the screen, and many of the networks employ former ESPN personalities. The risen level of competition has moved viewers to other networks.
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espn.go.com
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