OT: ESPN to potentially take control over NFL Media

[Nikolai]

The bigger question for me is why does the NFL want to give the control up? It seems like they have a good thing going.

You could snapshot the NFL circa 2000-2006, insert:

The bigger question for me is why does the NFL want to *******? It seems like they have a good thing going.

And I feel like the question would apply.

 

[Steve102]

I still make time for the NFL, but no where near as much as I used to. I used to watch three games start to finish on Sundays, even more if you consider I had a fourth game queued up on the DVR and if it was good I'd squeeze that in too. Last season I was down to one and a half games.

I am with you. I am loyal to the Patriots, but that's about it. Often passed on SNF and MNF. Maybe caught 2-3 TNF games. The 4pm game is often on but I am not engaged. I did find myself making a bigger commitment to NCAA this year, probably the most I have watched since the 80's. I watched the payoff games and will do so, but I will be dammed if I am buying another service just to watch. No way.

 

[borg]

Buying a piece of ESPN means buying a piece of gambling operation ESPN Bet.

 

[signbabybrady]

Possibly because it hasn't been challenged in court, whereby, it could potentially be determined to be illegal. But then, who has the money/desire to litigate this?

So it just takes someone to lose a bet and the sue them for conflict of interest?

 

[Bill Lee]

I am with you. I am loyal to the Patriots, but that's about it. Often passed on SNF and MNF. Maybe caught 2-3 TNF games. The 4pm game is often on but I am not engaged. I did find myself making a bigger commitment to NCAA this year, probably the most I have watched since the 80's. I watched the payoff games and will do so, but I will be dammed if I am buying another service just to watch. No way.

Some of my non-sports hobbies have kicked in this fall and winter.
In the springtime I start tuning into F1 racing.
Last year the entire 21 weekend season online cost $80 and came with zero ads.
But if that gets too pricey or too many ads get inserted, I'm out.
Life's too short to sit through ****-ass ads.

 

[stardawg]

How does the NFL buy a portion of ESPN but ESPN will gain control of the NFL Network?

Disney owns ESPN

 

[festy1986]

Disney owns ESPN

But the NFL is buying part of of ESPN, Disney is not buying part of the NFL.

 

[Sect140]

Am I wrong to be concerned that after the current TV contract runs out and the next one is negotiated all games will be on ESPN?

 

[203Pat]

IIRC NFLN started when having your own media property was the cool thing to do. It also helped NFL get the "party line" out in front of the fans. I think they have other ways to do that now, and the cost/benefit ratio is way below 1.0 these days.



It is just kinda sad that they are fabulously wealthy yet penny-pinching at the same time. I think sooner or later their continued watering down of the product is gonna catch up with them. In our case as Pats fans, it's clearly not the same kind of enjoyment these days as it once was, so it seems we should not be the benchmark, but still, here we are.

I still make time for the NFL, but no where near as much as I used to. I used to watch three games start to finish on Sundays, even more if you consider I had a fourth game queued up on the DVR and if it was good I'd squeeze that in too. Last season I was down to one and a half games. This season it often is one or less, maybe catch the 20 minute ad-free (for u2b premium) highlights that NFL puts on u2b twelve hours after the game if I want more content. I bet they shut that down sooner or later too.

In addition to the fact as Pats fans the product has been miserable, IMO the NFL product itself is just so loaded with ads it's terrible. I didn't realize how good we had it when Summerall and Madden read the "Murder, She Wrote" ad copy. And they just can't seem to fix the terrible game-time officials. Why watch a game if the zebras determine the outcome so damn often? As far as I'm concerned, get every damn official off the field and do it all with video.

I couldn't agree more. I know you and I have talked on this previously but I am right there with you on the league just not being as exciting as it used to be. Adding games, adding playoff teams, skewing the rules completely in favor of the offense. All these things have watered the game down. 16 games, 12 playoff teams, 4 teams on a bye week wildcard weekend. It was perfect and they had to mess with it so they could squeeze every dollar they could out of the game in detriment of the product.

 

[Ivan]

How does the NFL buy a portion of ESPN but ESPN will gain control of the NFL Network?

That was what I was thinking as well.

 

[Nikolai]

I am with you. I am loyal to the Patriots, but that's about it. Often passed on SNF and MNF. Maybe caught 2-3 TNF games. The 4pm game is often on but I am not engaged. I did find myself making a bigger commitment to NCAA this year, probably the most I have watched since the 80's. I watched the payoff games and will do so, but I will be dammed if I am buying another service just to watch. No way.

I'm pretty similar. When it comes to the NFL, the Pats have my loyalty. If they're not on, I might (read 20% chance) watch the Cards. I haven't watched a SNF, TNF, or playoff game without the Pats in it in years...since probably 2015. Super Bowls are a little different since we go to parties here and there. Since I am out of town, I have to pay to watch, but after this year, I'm switching to NFL+ and watching afterward. I'm done spending 100+ on the NFL.

I'll watch the NHL a fair amount, if I have time. I don't have time for much else. I'm usually at the track on Saturdays if the weather is good these days, so NCAA is ruled out, but I'd consider it otherwise.

 

[XLIX]

Am I wrong to be concerned that after the current TV contract runs out and the next one is negotiated all games will be on ESPN?

That'll never happen. The more outlets the NFL has, the more money they make. 1 network isn't going to pay the combined broadcasting fees of all 5.

 

[BennyBledsoe]

Possibly because it hasn't been challenged in court, whereby, it could potentially be determined to be illegal. But then, who has the money/desire to litigate this?

Technically, our government should.... IF it gave a damn about the anti-trust laws in its books.

Which it hasn't in decades.

 

[JohnJH]

Do we still hate ESPN?

For me, I wouldn't use the word Hate, I will however use the word Loathe.

 

[JohnJH]

Disney owns ESPN

If so, that partly explains while ESPN has gone down the metaphorical toilet. Disney excels at destroying "Cash Cows" (Star Wars being just one example). Disney, and every company that it owns pushes one specific political/social agenda. Politics and Social Agenda's (regardless of Left or Right), need to be removed from Pro-Sports. I for one, used to enjoy Pro-Sports to be entertained, a distraction from what's going on in the world (of which I'm quite always aware of). It's made the NBA ( I was a long-time and Rabid Celtics Fan), unwatchable. The NFL has been moving in that direction.