OT - Karma baby - ESPN is losing subscribers by the millions

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ESPN networks now have 92 million subscribers, according to THR. It was 95 million last year and 99 million in 2013. The seven-million-subscriber loss potentially amounts to hundreds of millions of dollars in lost annual revenue."

ESPN is losing subscribers by the millions

And good people are losing their jobs because of it while espn continues to pay people like ray lewis, cris carter, stephen a smith and chris mortenson a substantial amount of money for no reason.

Well, as we like to say in my business, that's a darn shame ...

JMC00 said:

And good people are losing their jobs because of it while espn continues to pay people like ray lewis, cris carter, stephen a smith and chris mortenson a substantial amount of money for no reason.

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How do you know ray lewis is getting paid a substantial amount of money? I read that he has an incentive based contract with the network, for every intelligible sentence he says he gets $1,000. By my estimation he would be making more at Popeye's.

This has been happening for awhile, it's hardly karma.

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That's heartbreaking.

It's too bad, it really is.

My DTV contract is due in January. Currently looking into internet tv with Roku and Amazon so I can cut the cord. My roadblocks involve the DVR aspect of the Genie that my Bride heavily favors.

I'm not too internet savvy so I need some guidance but it is going to happen. The sooner the better.

But on a sidenote, I watched the Monday game on Channel 5. It was still an ESPN broadcast on a local channel. Can't get away from it.

With the whole nation sitting on pins and needles in anticipation for the match of heavyweights Ravens vs Browns matchup Monday, their advertisement rates should continue to skyrocket.

Froob said:

It's too bad, it really is.

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It really is when you consider what ESPN has devolved from.

JMC00 said:

And good people are losing their jobs because of it while espn continues to pay people like ray lewis, cris carter, stephen a smith and chris mortenson a substantial amount of money for no reason.

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Good point. And true.

But isn't that typically the case? Fully competent employees trying to pursue careers and support families pay the price of the arrogance, foolishness, stupidity and downright incompetence of the seniors in their companies.

I join others in their empathy for the workers who have already lost or will soon lose their jobs.

But, I have no sympathy for the management or "faces" of HSPN. Unfortunately, they are protected by contracts, unlike the "little people" who end up being the "low hanging fruit" for a corporate downsizing."

JMC00 said:

And good people are losing their jobs because of it while espn continues to pay people like ray lewis, cris carter, stephen a smith and chris mortenson a substantial amount of money for no reason.

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It's definitely a good point, but here's the lowdown. Back in 2003, I applied for and was offered a low-mid management position at ESPN. When I saw their salary offer, I almost laughed. ESPN pays their lower employees peanuts, almost literally. When I confronted them about the salary offer, the reply was that having ESPN on your resume was worth the 50% below market pay.

I know someone who worked as a programmer there. He did have student loans, but on his salary there, he couldn't afford an apartment in Bristol that wasn't in the ghetto, so he lived with his parents in Southington.

Nikolai said:

It's definitely a good point, but here's the lowdown. Back in 2003, I applied for and was offered a low-mid management position at ESPN. When I saw their salary offer, I almost laughed. ESPN pays their lower employees peanuts, almost literally. When I confronted them about the salary offer, the reply was that having ESPN on your resume was worth the 50% below market pay.

I know someone who worked as a programmer there. He did have student loans, but on his salary there, he couldn't afford an apartment in Bristol that wasn't in the ghetto, so he lived with his parents in Southington.

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And what is this buddy of yours doing today? I'm just wondering if indeed the FESPN experience helped him?

Nikolai said:

It's definitely a good point, but here's the lowdown. Back in 2003, I applied for and was offered a low-mid management position at ESPN. When I saw their salary offer, I almost laughed. ESPN pays their lower employees peanuts, almost literally. When I confronted them about the salary offer, the reply was that having ESPN on your resume was worth the 50% below market pay.

I know someone who worked as a programmer there. He did have student loans, but on his salary there, he couldn't afford an apartment in Bristol that wasn't in the ghetto, so he lived with his parents in Southington.

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If that's the ESPN management model, to have a dramatic class distinction inside their organization, with a handful of very highly paid celebrities paired with legions of poorly paid people who do 99% of the work, then they don't really have a chance at long term success anyway. The marketplace needs to replace them; perhaps that's what is going on.

It fits that the NFL offices would build their business model to be tightly wound up with ESPN. They have a similar set of lenses and beliefs.

Do you know what would save ESPN?

It's simple - sports journalism.

If ESPN came out and said 'we've become too cozy with the leagues we follow. We've become lazy and relied the very sources we should be giving the most scrutiny. We've become complicit. Instead of reporting on some of the tough issues that stem from professional sports we've carried their water. Instead of uncovering corruption and abuse we've focused on catchphrases.

No more.'

Seriously, if they poised themselves as the Vice of sports where sure they did their fun, light-hearted coverage of scores and games but weren't afraid to really go after the Cowboys for the 'sure he beat the **** out of a woman and continues to behave in an unacceptable way but he can play ball' ********. If they went after the NBA more for corruption and went after MLB for being so criminal it violates the Geneva Convention they'd be a celebrated journalistic institution. Instead they're just sports entertainment but not quite as respectable as the WWE.

fgssand said:

And what is this buddy of yours doing today? I'm just wondering if indeed the FESPN experience helped him?

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He's doing a government job now. He left BSPN and went to DC to find work. Maybe his BSPN experience helped? But I think it was more his old friend that got him in cozy with a company in NoVa (Northern Virginia).

Nikolai said:

It's definitely a good point, but here's the lowdown. Back in 2003, I applied for and was offered a low-mid management position at ESPN. When I saw their salary offer, I almost laughed. ESPN pays their lower employees peanuts, almost literally. When I confronted them about the salary offer, the reply was that having ESPN on your resume was worth the 50% below market pay.

I know someone who worked as a programmer there. He did have student loans, but on his salary there, he couldn't afford an apartment in Bristol that wasn't in the ghetto, so he lived with his parents in Southington.

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All true.

The technology leadership there are quite arrogant.

Dr Pain said:

- "
ESPN networks now have 92 million subscribers, according to THR. It was 95 million last year and 99 million in 2013. The seven-million-subscriber loss potentially amounts to hundreds of millions of dollars in lost annual revenue."

ESPN is losing subscribers by the millions

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The need to focus on content. ESPN is LeBron, Tebow, Manziel and Kob articles. They hire blowhards and don't put their journalists to the highest standard. It's TMZ for Sports

It's pretty easy to figure exactly how much this is costing them. Lost 7 million subscribers, at a $6.61 carriage fee, = a loss of $46.27M per month, or $555M per year from their top line.

Here's to hoping that they keep losing more subscribers. They won't be going into the red anytime soon, but I would love to see it happen some day.