Here comes Fox

[AlaskaGuy]

 

[MAIZEandBLUE09]

Avi's were such a bitch which is why we did a signature bet instead of avi bets.

That's right! I semi-forgot about that. I remember the bet, but the connection to the Avi I completely forgot about. I think part of the problem is that they required the pictures to be able to be shown on TV without any issues (copyright or appropriateness). I remember posting something WAY back when, when college football live just started that made it to air with my picture.

 

[MAIZEandBLUE09]

I think it's funny how everyone takes whatever beef they have with ESPN and then claiming that is the reason ESPN laid people off etc.

It's a culmination of all those things, is it not? Here we have an entire board full of people who dedicate large amounts of time talking about sports -- yet you won't find many who will say, "I love watching X on ESPN"; the largest sports network. If you piss off the people most likely to consume your content, it does impact the bottom line. To my point earlier, you don't think removing message boards from their site caused viewership of their articles to drop? Those thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of eyes that constantly traveled through your site to get to the boards were just gone in an instant.

 

[4down20]

It's a culmination of all those things, is it not? Here we have an entire board full of people who dedicate large amounts of time talking about sports -- yet you won't find many who will say, "I love watching X on ESPN"; the largest sports network. If you piss off the people most likely to consume your content, it does impact the bottom line. To my point earlier, you don't think removing message boards from their site caused viewership of their articles to drop? Those thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of eyes that constantly traveled through your site to get to the boards were just gone in an instant.

No, it's not a culmination.

ESPN isn't making as much money now because people are canceling their cable subscriptions which have lots and lots of bundled content. In other words, people have been paying for ESPN for years even if they never watched a single minute of ESPN because it was attached to other channels.

It seems that ESPN/Disney formed their future plans based on that model and now the model has changed, so they have more expenses than they do revenue. Happens in business.

And I hear people say they love watching ESPN shows all the time and I see no difference in that over the past few years. Most of the people who "hate ESPN" are the ones who watch all those stupid troll shows. Because if you are like me and you only watch the actual sports....you don't hear that shit. The ESPN football broadcasts are the best.

And @ thinking a website forum matters(extra for thinking it's hundreds of thousands). Let me make that part real easy - that didn't affect a damn thing. Forum traffic is fucking worthless and people still post all those articles over here anyway. If ESPN puts out an article tomorrow sucking Michigan dick, you'll be the one to post it.

 

[MAIZEandBLUE09]

No, it's not a culmination.

ESPN isn't making as much money now because people are canceling their cable subscriptions which have lots and lots of bundled content. In other words, people have been paying for ESPN for years even if they never watched a single minute of ESPN because it was attached to other channels.

It seems that ESPN/Disney formed their future plans based on that model and now the model has changed, so they have more expenses than they do revenue. Happens in business.

And I hear people say they love watching ESPN shows all the time and I see no difference in that over the past few years. Most of the people who "hate ESPN" are the ones who watch all those stupid troll shows. Because if you are like me and you only watch the actual sports....you don't hear that shit. The ESPN football broadcasts are the best.

And @ thinking a website forum matters(extra for thinking it's hundreds of thousands). Let me make that part real easy - that didn't affect a damn thing. Forum traffic is fucking worthless and people still post all those articles over here anyway. If ESPN puts out an article tomorrow sucking Michigan dick, you'll be the one to post it.

But it is a culmination. Cable cutting is a major cause of their issues, but their issues online exist as well (hence why many content creators got laid off in the latest cuts that wrote for the website and weren't on-air personalities). You're also failing to realize that some people cut their cable because they stopped watching things like sportcenter or the other 24/7 garbage ESPN now broadcasts because most of their sports can be seen through other means (MLB network, NFL Network, broadcast networks, etc.) online.

To me, it doesn't seem like ESPN is adapting, it seems like they're just making their product shittier because they don't know how to spend money on broadcasting rights while also providing good content on TV/online.

 

[Lance Armstrong]

I think it's funny how everyone takes whatever beef they have with ESPN and then claiming that is the reason ESPN laid people off etc.

that's a great way to put it.

 

[Lance Armstrong]

ESPN is in trouble because they pay way too much for content, we as college football fans have seen the dollar amounts our teams have been getting go through the roof. Problem is people are cutting cords, sports fans are the only people that are keeping cable alive.

 

[4down20]

But it is a culmination. Cable cutting is a major cause of their issues, but their issues online exist as well (hence why many content creators got laid off in the latest cuts that wrote for the website and weren't on-air personalities). You're also failing to realize that some people cut their cable because they stopped watching things like sportcenter or the other 24/7 garbage ESPN now broadcasts because most of their sports can be seen through other means (MLB network, NFL Network, broadcast networks, etc.) online.

To me, it doesn't seem like ESPN is adapting, it seems like they're just making their product shittier because they don't know how to spend money on broadcasting rights while also providing good content on TV/online.

As far as online content, people using ad blockers are no different than people who don't view the content at all.

Believe what you want to believe, but it's all fantasy for people looking to feel better about their hate for ESPN.

 

[MAIZEandBLUE09]

As far as online content, people using ad blockers are no different than people who don't view the content at all.

Believe what you want to believe, but it's all fantasy for people looking to feel better about their hate for ESPN.

They've gotten around that by putting ads within content that can't be blocked with a simple ad blocker.

 

[4down20]

They've gotten around that by putting ads within content that can't be blocked with a simple ad blocker.

No. Just no.

Ok, so it IS possible to serve some ads through your content that won't get blocked - true. But you obviously don't know shit about doing it.

It severely limits your ad inventory, and thus how much money you are going to make from ads. Ads don't just appear out in a void and just appear on websites, they have to be managed. Accounts have to be billed, setup, settings made, orders filled, etc. It's a full time job and could be for multiple people.

And I know you are thinking "Well ESPN can pay for that". Sure, but it's more expenses piled on. But most importantly is not ESPN hiring people to manage it - it's that EVERY ADVERTISER now has to manage an account.

Most businesses are just going to go to a place like google to run their ads. They don't want extra accounts to manage, and it doesn't make a difference to them if people are using ad blockers or not because they are only billed for the ads served. So I have no reason to go advertise with ESPN directly. You might see big corporations do direct ad buys with ESPN for basically general run of the network ads only.

 

[4down20]

I went to ESPN with my ad blocker on, I didn't get any ads. I turned my ad blocker off, refreshed the page and I got a bunch of ads.

So I don't know what you are talking about. Making excuses for your excuses?

ESPN runs doubleclick(google ads). No doubt for the reasons I mentioned.

 

[MAIZEandBLUE09]

No. Just no.

Ok, so it IS possible to serve some ads through your content that won't get blocked - true. But you obviously don't know shit about doing it.

It severely limits your ad inventory, and thus how much money you are going to make from ads. Ads don't just appear out in a void and just appear on websites, they have to be managed. Accounts have to be billed, setup, settings made, orders filled, etc. It's a full time job and could be for multiple people.

And I know you are thinking "Well ESPN can pay for that". Sure, but it's more expenses piled on. But most importantly is not ESPN hiring people to manage it - it's that EVERY ADVERTISER now has to manage an account.

Most businesses are just going to go to a place like google to run their ads. They don't want extra accounts to manage, and it doesn't make a difference to them if people are using ad blockers or not because they are only billed for the ads served. So I have no reason to go advertise with ESPN directly. You might see big corporations do direct ad buys with ESPN for basically general run of the network ads only.

The reality, still, is those ads still work because most people still don't have adblocker on.

 

[4down20]

The reality, still, is those ads still work because most people still don't have adblocker on.

No they don't, you are full of shit. Read my other post.

Excuses for your excuses.

 

[MAIZEandBLUE09]

No they don't, you are full of shit. Read my other post.

Excuses for your excuses.

It's not an excuse man. ESPN bet on getting people to consume their content via their website after they left their cable service, which bundled the channel into the cost. That's why the revamped the website and removed things like the message board, to streamline their delivery and focus on specific things. But that hasn't panned out, which is why most of the layoffs were mostly online content creators.

 

[4down20]

It's not an excuse man. ESPN bet on getting people to consume their content via their website after they left their cable service, which bundled the channel into the cost. That's why the revamped the website and removed things like the message board, to streamline their delivery and focus on specific things. But that hasn't panned out, which is why most of the layoffs were mostly online content creators.

You don't know what the fuck you are talking about, and as usual you don't know when to shut the fuck up.

 

[MAIZEandBLUE09]

You don't know what the fuck you are talking about, and as usual you don't know when to shut the fuck up.

I do, and as usual you're unnecessarily angry

 

[4down20]

I do, and as usual you're unnecessarily angry

What you said was incredibly stupid and it's not my fault you decided to argue with a programmer/developer with nearly 20 years experience in this industry.

ESPN has a website...because people visit websites. The notion that ESPN thought a website was going to replace their cable service is just some stupid shit you pulled out of your ass.

I'm not angry, I'm blunt and to the point and if you want someone to sugar coat things for you, then I suggest you go cry to your mama or stop saying stupid shit.

 

[MAIZEandBLUE09]

What you said was incredibly stupid and it's not my fault you decided to argue with a programmer/developer with nearly 20 years experience in this industry.

ESPN has a website...because people visit websites. The notion that ESPN thought a website was going to replace their cable service is just some stupid shit you pulled out of your ass.

I'm not angry, I'm blunt and to the point and if you want someone to sugar coat things for you, then I suggest you go cry to your mama or stop saying stupid shit.

ESPN thought they could mitigate the drop in able subscriptions with digital services. This is fact.

 

[4down20]

ESPN thought they could mitigate the drop in able subscriptions with digital services. This is fact.

So you are now moving the goalposts from "website" and "website ads" to just "digital services".

I buy/use ESPN's "digital services". It's their fucking channel served over internet, not their website.

 

[MAIZEandBLUE09]

So you are now moving the goalposts from "website" and "website ads" to just "digital services".

I buy/use ESPN's "digital services". It's their fucking channel served over internet, not their website.

I'm not even talking about watching their shit via streaming services. I'm talking about digital content and services like recruiting, which failed.