| NEWS ESPN Radio was down 53% year-over-year in the fall.

TerryP

Staff
While I didn't really think about their ratings over the last year this drop is understandable and I find their reasoning partially true. With the lockdowns the amount of people commuting to work dropped, drastically. That's part of their audience, no doubt.

A few things I believe they're missing.

  • The content over the last year. Under the guise of sports talk listeners heard as much political grandstanding as they heard actually sporting news.
  • The on-air talent took a dramatic nose dive as well. While Greenie is doing well in his time slot, the combination of Mehenti, Keyshawn Johnson, and Jay Williams don't hold a candle to what Mike and Mike brought.
Outside of a local afternoon sports show, FanTalk, I don't listen to ESPN radio. I have been a fan of their app and catching shows like College Football Live and the CFP Podcast with Herbie and Pollack. This past season the amount of times I listened to those ESPN produced shows probably dropped 50%. Why? Content and even though I knew the personalities I didn't know much about their personal "mandates."

It's funny thinking about to when ESPN debuted and how it was considered a joke. Remember their early programming?

Fast forward several years and it's one of the best networks on TV. How many of you guys watched Sportscenter in the mornings? Not once, mind you, but had it on for three and four hours? I did.

Now? The older they get the more they seem to be returning to their roots. It's becoming a joke.
 
The impact of shutting businesses down and people losing their job is starting to show up. Can't shut down the country and the world for a year and not have an impact.

Oh and I quit watching or listening to most ESPN content several years ago due to the political conversations they want to promote. I will watch game day and catch games but that is about it.
 
I agree with you on the reasons. Content just sucks. Plain and simple. Every single show I’ve heard the past 12-18 months at some point brings social and political issues in. Some shows discuss it a majority of the time slot on given days. I seldom listed to their shows on XM anymore. And I can’t stand Golic Jr. he loves to talk social issues with Chimey or whoever his co-host is. He’s an ass kisser about that stuff. And he’s always thought his takes were better than anyone else’s. Thinks he’s God’s gift to sports talk. I listen to the Herd when I’m in the car, and sometimes Skip and Shannon. I like Shannon’s style.
 
I agree with you on the reasons. Content just sucks. Plain and simple. Every single show I’ve heard the past 12-18 months at some point brings social and political issues in.
That's part of this but I look at it as carrying the same weight as their sports related content. It's lost its quality; more importantly accuracy.

I mentioned College Football Live earlier. When we got into September last season I was shocked at how much they were getting wrong. In some cases stories were being reported on ESPN in the morning and they were getting it wrong that afternoon. Literally, reporting and commenting on things that were factually off base.

(Opinions are just that. I don't really hold that against a sports personality or their show.)
 
That's part of this but I look at it as carrying the same weight as their sports related content. It's lost its quality; more importantly accuracy.

I mentioned College Football Live earlier. When we got into September last season I was shocked at how much they were getting wrong. In some cases stories were being reported on ESPN in the morning and they were getting it wrong that afternoon. Literally, reporting and commenting on things that were factually off base.

(Opinions are just that. I don't really hold that against a sports personality or their show.)

They get this cheaper "talent" right out of college that doesn't know jack, or have relationships with any of these programs, coaches, or players and it is just dull. Stewart Scott, Berman, Levy, Van Pelt, all of those guys from my youth are done, gone, and ain't coming back. Yes I know a couple still have roles, but aren't where they used to be when Sportscenter was a craft, not a time filler. Too many opinionated asses that think they are smarter than everyone else like Greenberg, Stephen A, Kellerman, and others running the slots and it's a major turnoff. I like Stephen A at times, but he does love to hear himself talk. I just want the world to quit complaining every damn day like these guys do about sports. life ain't that pitiful folks.
 
Have XM in all vehicles and can say ....
I have never ever listened to a single sports talk show..... ever
and ..... probably wont...certainly since they started their social issues and slipping politics in.,
..
I dont care what they say or some overpaid athlete has to say
 
Have XM in all vehicles and can say ....
I have never ever listened to a single sports talk show..... ever
and ..... probably wont...certainly since they started their social issues and slipping politics in.,
..
I dont care what they say or some overpaid athlete has to say
You're painting with a really broad brush here because they all aren't the same. Just like the print media there's a divide between national media and local newspapers. It's the newspapers like "Everytown Daily" that are not only turning profit but also offering good content for its subscribers.

There's divide between your local afternoon drive time sports talk show and listening to Cowherd. The former, good content. The later? Well, in this case, it's Colin Cowherd?
 
You're painting with a really broad brush here because they all aren't the same. Just like the print media there's a divide between national media and local newspapers. It's the newspapers like "Everytown Daily" that are not only turning profit but also offering good content for its subscribers.

There's divide between your local afternoon drive time sports talk show and listening to Cowherd. The former, good content. The later? Well, in this case, it's Colin Cowherd?
Before the pandemic I routinely listened to WJOX in the morning drive and the local radio to catch Wes Neighbors in the afternoon drive. Since the pandemic pretty much have stopped listening to sports radio shows since there is no commute. I never listened to ESPN Radio or any Sports talk on XM.
 
They get this cheaper "talent" right out of college that doesn't know jack, or have relationships with any of these programs, coaches, or players and it is just dull. Stewart Scott, Berman, Levy, Van Pelt, all of those guys from my youth are done, gone, and ain't coming back.
I'm with you to an extent here. My comment was about the guys that proclaim to have relationships to programs, coaching staff's and players and have been covering college football for years.

Take this guy for example. He started covering college football in 1981. He's now a national guy on radio, in print, and on TV. And yet, he doesn't know that the school receives a replica trophy as well? Small detail, like the hot water faucet is on the left side: you should know these things by now.

 
I'm with you to an extent here. My comment was about the guys that proclaim to have relationships to programs, coaching staff's and players and have been covering college football for years.

Take this guy for example. He started covering college football in 1981. He's now a national guy on radio, in print, and on TV. And yet, he doesn't know that the school receives a replica trophy as well? Small detail, like the hot water faucet is on the left side: you should know these things by now.



Waiting on another remodel of that Big Ole Trophy Case.
 
Did you guys see where The Athletic is looking for a mate? Apparently they were seeking a partnership deal with Axois and it didn't work, so they are now trying to team up with the NY Times. This is probably just wishful thinking on my part, but I hope this is because they are taking on water. It sure seems like they are desperate to find someone though, unlike what we saw with Outkick this week where Murdoch/FOX wanted to acquire Clay's outfit.
 
Did you guys see where The Athletic is looking for a mate? Apparently they were seeking a partnership deal with Axois and it didn't work, so they are now trying to team up with the NY Times. This is probably just wishful thinking on my part, but I hope this is because they are taking on water. It sure seems like they are desperate to find someone though, unlike what we saw with Outkick this week where Murdoch/FOX wanted to acquire Clay's outfit.

If they're trying to team with Axios or the NYT then it is over. Only the SJW work for those two. These folks own all the MSM and it will only get worse.

Get woke and go the F broke. JMO
 
If they're trying to team with Axios or the NYT then it is over. Only the SJW work for those two. These folks own all the MSM and it will only get worse.

Get woke and go the F broke. JMO
Stewart Mandel is the Editor in Chief for The Athletic. That should tell you all you need to know on that front.

Did you guys see where The Athletic is looking for a mate? Apparently they were seeking a partnership deal with Axois and it didn't work, so they are now trying to team up with the NY Times. This is probably just wishful thinking on my part, but I hope this is because they are taking on water. It sure seems like they are desperate to find someone though, unlike what we saw with Outkick this week where Murdoch/FOX wanted to acquire Clay's outfit.
I believe it was last November they hit 1 million subscribers. In January of last year it was reported they'd received a little under 140 million in investor money (since 2016.) If they're looking for a mate is it a case of them bleeding out or is it a case of a guy like Hansmann looking to get a "Shannon Terry" type of buy-in/buy-out?
 
If they're looking for a mate is it a case of them bleeding out or is it a case of a guy like Hansmann looking to get a "Shannon Terry" type of buy-in/buy-out?

That's what I'm wondering... Also wonder how many of their subscribers are paying full price? When I signed up not long after they launched (before I realized they were the sports/print version of Air America), I was paying less than a dollar a month because of a holiday special.
 
That's what I'm wondering... Also wonder how many of their subscribers are paying full price? When I signed up not long after they launched (before I realized they were the sports/print version of Air America), I was paying less than a dollar a month because of a holiday special.
I'm thinking it was in 2018 when The Wall Street Journal ran an article on them. As I recall they were offering as much as a 35% raise to their bigger names (when they were already making six figures.) There were stock options given as well. The thought is they've got a hell of a lot of overhead not unlike ESPN has found themselves.

According to what the article suggested they were getting $60 a year on average but did add a lot of people were getting different discounts and promotional.

It would be interesting to see/hear an earnings report.
 
It all comes down from the top. Disney, which is one of, if not, the largest SJW/LGBT corporations. Case in point. In 1997 Disney announced that they were getting out of the publishing business because there was no future in that industry. They lied. Disney still owns and publishes three LGBT periodicals.
 
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