News Round Up 2016

[skier_pete]

So does anyone think AK fast passes are going to go tiered when Pandora opens?

I think there's a good chance that happens. At least the two Pandora rides will go to a "Tier 1" so that you can only FP one of them.

 

[rteetz]

It's not JUST getting rid of cable entirely - some companies are letting people "trade down" to packages without sport tiers - I did it in a heartbeat b/c $50/month savings is $50/month savings. I have not missed ESPN at all, except when MNF has my favorite team (and I could head to the sports bar if I wasn't lazy to watch it). I had stopped watching everything else b/c I hate talk tv and the NBA was always my 4th favorite of the big 4 sports...

True but doesn't most basic cable packages have at least regular ESPN? We have cable and Directv and have the NFL ticket. We are huge sports and won't be getting rid of either anytime soon.

 

[TwoMisfits]

True but doesn't most basic cable packages have at least regular ESPN? We have cable and Directv and have the NFL ticket. We are huge sports and won't be getting rid of either anytime soon.

But you still aren't paying for it (your parents are, right?) - if you are starting out as a millenial no longer at home, the cost might hit a lot closer to home...I used to watch sports just like you (ask me any sports question mid-80s to mid-00s, and I'll ace the trivia, but lives change...

And while many basic cable packages have ESPN, the smarter companies are dropping it (and FS1 and other sport channels) to make affordable packages for their consumers...

 

[rteetz]

But you still aren't paying for it (your parents are, right?) - if you are starting out as a millenial no longer at home, the cost might hit a lot closer to home...I used to watch sports just like you (ask me any sports question mid-80s to mid-00s, and I'll ace the trivia, but lives change...

And while many basic cable packages have ESPN, the smarter companies are dropping it (and FS1 and other sport channels) to make affordable packages for their consumers...

Yes that is true my parents are paying for it but even when I move out I still think I would get some sort of cable or satellite.

 

[TwoMisfits]

Yes that is true my parents are paying for it but even when I move out I still think I would get some sort of cable or satellite.

Right - like I have cable for the Walking Dead, Food Network, and Nickelodeon (b/c kids always win...if more cable companies drop ESPN from basic, they are gonna be in serious trouble b/c I doubt many people will pay for them AND cable, so it becomes either/or...and kids tend to win over parents when tv comes into play...

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Its due to people getting rid of cable. ESPN subscriptions are tied to basic cable packages so if you get rid of cable you get rid of ESPN. Therefore the more people leaving cable the more subscribers ESPN loses.

At the core...yes...but there are other factors

 

[LSLS]

As someone from the UK who's not too familiar with American sport but why are people leaving ESPN? Is it just too expensive? Is the content poor? Or are you tied into high subscriptions in order to receive it?

They have hit a nasty loop. People are dropping cable, which is causing their revenue to dip (they had just invested a ton of money getting different events such as Monday Night Football). Because of this, they can't afford their most popular analysts/commentators anymore, who move on to other companies. They are the most popular for a reason, so then more people stop watching/listening, dropping ratings further, etc. etc.

Personally, I stopped everything to do with ESPN because they push their own teams WAY too much for me.

 

[rteetz]

Personally, I stopped everything to do with ESPN because they push their own teams WAY too much for me.

Their own teams?

 

[lockedoutlogic]

They have hit a nasty loop. People are dropping cable, which is causing their revenue to dip (they had just invested a ton of money getting different events such as Monday Night Football). Because of this, they can't afford their most popular analysts/commentators anymore, who move on to other companies. They are the most popular for a reason, so then more people stop watching/listening, dropping ratings further, etc. etc.

Personally, I stopped everything to do with ESPN because they push their own teams WAY too much for me.

They also attached themselves to the nba which has ZERO casual fans...and with all these hits and the decline of their "personality based" programming...they are taking a major advertising hit.

And the league run stations are just better for many who tend to be one track fans.

As an NHL fan...I have zero interest In them after baseball season...I can watch what I want over streaming services...including tsn or CBC often times...

ESPN has nothing for me...a diehard sports fan of everything I could get my hands on for a LONG time.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Their own teams?

I think he means the sports they are financially betting on and the teams that capture short attention spans...

Cowboys, Red Sox, Yankees, heat/cavs, lakers...etc.

 

[rteetz]

I think he means the sports they are financially betting on and the teams that capture short attention spans...

Cowboys, Red Sox, Yankees, heat/cavs, lakers...etc.

Thats a given for any major sports network though. The big time, winning, big market teams are always going to be featured. I am a Milwaukee Brewers fan, I can't remember the last time they were on ESPN but thats because they are one of the smallest market teams in the MLB.

 

[Redcon1]

I think ESPN dipping their toes into the political pool a bit too much is turning off some of their former viewers as well.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Thats a given for any major sports network though. The big time, winning, big market teams are always going to be featured. I am a Milwaukee Brewers fan, I can't remember the last time they were on ESPN but thats because they are one of the smallest market teams in the MLB.

It is...but ESPN set itself up as the "CNN" of sports in the 90's. When they started the deuce I rarely ever changed the dial off of them...especially after MTV shut down...

But their product is stale/bad and the cracks really shows...including clowns like Stephen A and skip bayless trying the Stuart Scott routine and and endless line of blondes run across the screen as eye candy that MAY know a thing or two as a second qualifications.

That goes for ex pro athletes too...they don't require insight to be on.

ESPN is dead...and they damn well know it. Disney is trying to pivot somewhere else.

So the morale of the story is: Rogue 1 better be good

 

[lockedoutlogic]

I think ESPN dipping their toes into the political pool a bit too much is turning off some of their former viewers as well.

The kapernick thing?

They were in a tough spot there...they couldn't realistically ignore it.

 

[rteetz]

It is...but ESPN set itself up as the "CNN" of sports in the 90's. When they started the deuce I rarely ever changed the dial off of them...especially after MTV shut down...

But their product is stale/bad and the cracks really shows...including clowns like Stephen A and skip bayless trying the Stuart Scott routine and and endless line of blondes run across the screen as eye candy that MAY know a thing or two as a second qualifications.

That goes for ex pro athletes too...they don't require insight to be on.

ESPN is dead...and they damn well know it. Disney is trying to pivot somewhere else.

So the morale of the story is: Rogue 1 better be good

I understand. I can't stand Stephen A, and luckily Skip is gone.

 

[Redcon1]

The kapernick thing?

They were in a tough spot there...they couldn't realistically ignore it.

More issues than that.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

More issues than that.

Not to get too political...but their billion dollar contracts force them into dealing with "viewpoints"...

...on both sides...I so strongly disagree with their promotion of FIFA and the NCAA that I can barely stomach watching games...

That's why the league run channels are better...you know what you're getting. And for a semi straight forward product like the MLB network - it's relatively thoughtless...which is all tv ever was designed as...that's been studied and proven over and over again since ww2...

People like mindless tv...uh huh...you see where this correlation is going...

I'll get down off the box now...

 

[TwoMisfits]

The kapernick thing?

They were in a tough spot there...they couldn't realistically ignore it.

I think the Arthur Ashe award for Caitlyn Jenner was probably a bigger start of the turn off...especially when it screwed over Lauren Hill (and Noah Galloway) that year...

 

[rteetz]

I think the Arthur Ashe award for Caitlyn Jenner was probably a bigger start of the turn off...

I don't mind the ESPN discussion but lets not start to get too far off topic here.

 

[OhioStateBuckeye]

Their own teams?

ESPN owns the broadcast rights for the SEC, so they push the teams.