ESPN has lost 10 million subscribers since 2013

[BleedBlueGold]

Recently, I went a month where every day I lost Internet and tv for a few hours. We called 5 times before they ran a test over the phone and told me that there was a connection problem at the pole and that they would send a technician at no cost to me.

Fast forward, the guy came out and fixed it at the pole. I get my bill and its $258. They charged me for the technician and all my "promo" stuff went off. I called three times before a nice Indian lady asked me if we could "bargain with each other". I laughed and played along. She gave me my original deal back and my dvr free for a year. She tried to get me in a new contract, but I said no.

Two years with Comcast; 5 technician visits, 30+ phone calls and I can't even get HBO on my other tv's without paying an additional $30 a month. Fuq them.

Somebody give me the recipe for cutting the cord and getting the following:

- 3 tv's with service
- high speed internet
- sports
- HBO
- AMC
- dvr or playback ability
- zero risk of missing any Notre Dame game

I'm all ears.

-Your TVs need a device to stream shows (SmartTV, Apple TV, Roku, etc)
-Call your local internet providers to see how much internet-only costs (and what speed you need to stream) (approx $60/month for faster internet)
-Check out SlingTV for their packages. AMC is included, as is ESPN, and you can add HBO for $10/mo I think, so $35/month
-You'll need an antenna to pick up local channels (one time fee for product)
-You'll need Tivo or a DVR equivalent (one time fee for product plus monthly rates usually)

You can save money by doing that, but if you start adding any other service (Netflix, Hulu, etc) you won't save as much and said savings probably won't make up for the inconvenience of multiple subscriptions versus one single subscription via Comcast.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

Then your coworkers aren't the brightest. I have home phone, Blast internet, and Digital Preferred with Starz and HBO and I'm paying $100 in the first year of my contract and $150 in the second year of the contract. What people don't realize is that you can get those promotional rates right back even after your contract term expires and you bump up to "full price" of $250.


That's about right. I have HBO and better Internet than you but I'm only using one DVR and one regular box and pay about the same.

For most cord-cutters I know, broadband has been more important than cable for quite some time already, and they're just now realizing how little value they're getting out of their cable TV subscription.

I just ditched DirecTV within the last month, and I haven't missed it at all. Paying Cox $65/month for 150 mbps down/ 10 mbps up. Paying for Netflex, Amazon Prime and HBO Now (but will probably drop it once GoT ends). Dropping DirecTV cut my "media" expenses in half.

 

[wizards8507]

-Your TVs need a device to stream shows (SmartTV, Apple TV, Roku, etc)
-Call your local internet providers to see how much internet-only costs (and what speed you need to stream) (approx $60/month for faster internet)
-Check out SlingTV for their packages. AMC is included, as is ESPN, and you can add HBO for $10/mo I think, so $35/month
-You'll need an antenna to pick up local channels (one time fee for product)
-You'll need Tivo or a DVR equivalent (one time fee for product plus monthly rates usually)

You can save money by doing that, but if you start adding any other service (Netflix, Hulu, etc) you won't save as much and said savings probably won't make up for the inconvenience of multiple subscriptions versus one single subscription via Comcast.

None of that will get him Notre Dame games if and when NBC starts airing them on NBCSN or when we have road games at Stanford or USC on FS1.

For most cord-cutters I know, broadband has been more important than cable for quite some time already, and they're just now realizing how little value they're getting out of their cable TV subscription.

I just ditched DirecTV within the last month, and I haven't missed it at all. Paying Cox $65/month for 150 mbps down/ 10 mbps up. Paying for Netflex, Amazon Prime and HBO Now (but will probably drop it once GoT ends). Dropping DirecTV cut my "media" expenses in half.

See above. What's your plan for ND games?

 

[BleedBlueGold]

None of that will get him Notre Dame games if and when NBC starts airing them on NBCSN or when we have road games at Stanford or USC on FS1.


See above. What's your plan for ND games?

True. BTN is an issue too at the moment.

 

[wizards8507]

True. BTN is an issue too at the moment.

It's unlikely that ND @ Big 10 will ever be on BTN though. Those games will be on ABC / ESPN / ESPN2 and covered by the antenna or Sling. ND @ Pac-12 on FS1 is much more likely.

 

[BleedBlueGold]

Apparently in April '16, SlingTV added FS1....I can't find it on the their website channel listing though.

http://www.cutcabletoday.com/fs1-live-stream/

Looks like Sling makes you choose. ESPN is in one package. FS1 is in another.

 

[BleedBlueGold]

It's unlikely that ND @ Big 10 will ever be on BTN though. Those games will be on ABC / ESPN / ESPN2 and covered by the antenna or Sling. ND @ Pac-12 on FS1 is much more likely.

I like watching IU Basketball. I miss their BTN games unless I go to a bar.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

None of that will get him Notre Dame games if and when NBC starts airing them on NBCSN or when we have road games at Stanford or USC on FS1.

See above. What's your plan for ND games?

I can get at least half of them over broadcast. For the others I can go to my neighbor's house, or an ND Club of Phoenix watch party. I need to buy NDCrusader a beer, anyway.

 

[IrishLion]

Someone want to give me the idiot's guide to Sling?

Which ESPN channels do you get with their package? All of them? Or just ESPN/ESPN2?

 

[dales5050]

Come on man, be for real. You can't post an article about ESPN from Fox Sports and expect it to be a fair and accurate portrayal of the sports media landscape. They have a sub-headline about ESPN's subscriber declines since 2013... conveniently that's when FS1 was introduced.

I grabbed this from the cord cutter sub on Reddit. Wanted to just start the conversation. But...

ESPN woes hurting Disney - May. 9, 2016

ESPN's Uncertain Future Is Already Here

Disney Networks Still Losing Subscribers, But Recent ESPN Uptick | Stock News & Stock Market Analysis - IBD

ESPN Loses Subscribers; Are Analysts Concerned for Disney? : Business : Jobs & Hire

ESPN Loses More Subscribers But Disney CEO Upbeat On New Bundles | Stock News & Stock Market Analysis - IBD

Disney CEO Bob Iger Explains ESPN Subscriber Losses, Says Talks Underway to Get Sports Channel in Skinny Bundles - Hollywood Reporter

Lost subscribers for ESPN spoil Disney’s fairy-tale quarter | New York Post


The subscriber losses have a lot to do with the uptick in cord cutting and the decoupling of ESPN from basic cable. Really nothing to do with FS1.

 

[wizards8507]

Someone want to give me the idiot's guide to Sling?

Which ESPN channels do you get with their package? All of them? Or just ESPN/ESPN2?

"Skinny bundle" run over the internet from Dish. E1 and E2, along with other non-ESPN channels.

 

[dales5050]

Someone want to give me the idiot's guide to Sling?

Which ESPN channels do you get with their package? All of them? Or just ESPN/ESPN2?

Sling is an over the top, internet based, product from Dish Network. Like Playstation Vue.


The TL/DR of it is you can get cable tv through an app over your internet connection without having to go with your locked in provider or putting up a dish. It's similar to how HBO Now works except it gives you access to multiple channels rather than just one catalog.

I had it during football season just so I could get access to ESPN. Will do the same unless I can get just ESPN directly in the fall.

The product itself was glitchy when I used it but I hear they have made some improvements.

 

[IrishLion]

"Skinny bundle" run over the internet from Dish. E1 and E2, along with other non-ESPN channels.

I think I like college football too much to be a cord-cutter right now.

ESPN/ESPN2 along with ABC, NBC and CBS isn't enough for me.

I need the ability to watch NBCSN, CBSSN, ESPN News, SEC Network, BTN, and FS1.


This leads me to the fact that I'm gonna need to dump DirecTV now that Cincinnati Bell has Fioptics in my neighborhood. I can get my entire current cable lineup and way better internet for a better price. Damn DirecTV contract is holding me back.

 

[Rack Em]

Someone want to give me the idiot's guide to Sling?

Which ESPN channels do you get with their package? All of them? Or just ESPN/ESPN2?

$20/month for 20+ channels (depending on the package) and many of them are legit channels.

Need a streaming device to support it (like Roku, Chromecast, etc.)

You can pay an extra $5/month for ESPNU, Goal Line, SEC Network, and a few other jank ESPN stations that no one watches.

 

[wizards8507]

I think I like college football too much to be a cord-cutter right now.

ESPN/ESPN2 along with ABC, NBC and CBS isn't enough for me.

I need the ability to watch NBCSN, CBSSN, ESPN News, SEC Network, BTN, and FS1.


This leads me to the fact that I'm gonna need to dump DirecTV now that Cincinnati Bell has Fioptics in my neighborhood. I can get my entire current cable lineup and way better internet for a better price. Damn DirecTV contract is holding me back.

Same. I also can't do without NESN.

 

[woolybug25]

-Your TVs need a device to stream shows (SmartTV, Apple TV, Roku, etc)
-Call your local internet providers to see how much internet-only costs (and what speed you need to stream) (approx $60/month for faster internet)
-Check out SlingTV for their packages. AMC is included, as is ESPN, and you can add HBO for $10/mo I think, so $35/month
-You'll need an antenna to pick up local channels (one time fee for product)
-You'll need Tivo or a DVR equivalent (one time fee for product plus monthly rates usually)

You can save money by doing that, but if you start adding any other service (Netflix, Hulu, etc) you won't save as much and said savings probably won't make up for the inconvenience of multiple subscriptions versus one single subscription via Comcast.

Thanks! That's exactly what I was looking for in an answer. I will take this to my wife tonight and make my presentation. IE... Making marriages great again.

I can get at least half of them over broadcast. For the others I can go to my neighbor's house, or an ND Club of Phoenix watch party. I need to buy NDCrusader a beer, anyway.

This is going to have to be my option for some games. I usually go to a couple, watch at least a couple at game day parties and my best friend lives next door. He's a scUM fan, but also the reason I haven't missed a UM game in probably a decade. We have a gentlemens agreement that we watch the others game and do so with the amount of respect we would want ourselves. It actually has worked flawlessly. For every time I simply walk out when their punter blows the game, he goes and grabs a drink when we throw a back corner fade on the last play instead of kicking the FG for the win.

 

[dales5050]

What those people don't realize is that they're not actually saving any money by doing that unless they live somewhere with free or subsidized broadband. Once they pay for their internet connection then tack on Netflix, Hulu, and HBO Now, they're paying what they would have paid for a package in the first place.

For many it's not just about savings. Even though there is.

I pay $54.99 for up to 200 down...although it's almost always around 60 down. I do this 12 months a year. I pay $11.99 for Netflix 12 months a year. Subscribe to Hulu, HBO and Showtime for various times during the year when there is programming. Have an OTA antenna for 40 locals/news/sports.

Much cheaper than having to pay for stuff 12 months a year..especially when I hardly watch TV in the summer.


But the other part is breaking cable companies. I would rather go through the troubles of having a mixed system than just forking over money to Time Warner/Charter because it's easier.

 

[phork]

What those people don't realize is that they're not actually saving any money by doing that unless they live somewhere with free or subsidized broadband. Once they pay for their internet connection then tack on Netflix, Hulu, and HBO Now, they're paying what they would have paid for a package in the first place.


Indeed.

As Wiz said, that's because it's not "ESPN" that is losing them... it's a product of cable television cord cutters. Pretty much every one they lose, every other cable channel also loses... with some rare exceptions (i.e. content packages for partial cord cutters).

ESPN actually prepared better for this than most. No one has a digital content platform even close to what they have.

People are leaving. Just because people aren't signing up doesn't mean they are getting it in other ways. Android boxes for example.

Somebody give me the recipe for cutting the cord and getting the following:

- 3 tv's with service
- high speed internet
- sports
- HBO
- AMC
- dvr or playback ability
- zero risk of missing any Notre Dame game

I'm all ears.

Android box.

Not going to happen, solely based on the "zero risk of missing any Notre Dame game" criterion. For the foreseeable future, Notre Dame games could be on ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, ESPN, FS1, NBCSN. There's no way to get the last two without a package.

Android Box.

What these companies need to realize that people want their content. They will even pay for their content. If they deliver it the way consumers want it. In Canada its worse because there are so many useless French language channels that have to be added. My current satellite sub is $110/month. I have basic everything, no movie channels like HBO etc but I do have an upgraded Sports package. I have a literal fuck ton of channels. Of which, I watch NBC for ND games, CBS, ABC and AMC.

Devise a set top box where content is delivered for a nominal fee for a show. Say $30 for a season of whatever show you watch. Sans commercials.

 

[Legacy]

Why doesn't ESPN bundle all their channels separately from cable for $20 or so a month, stream it and keep the advertising profit? Or go in with other sports networks in a package?

Sling provides ESPN and ESPN2 and many others for $20/month mostly without advertising. Are ESPN's rates with Sling less than with Comcast or the satellite providers?

I understand that ESPN delivers to Disney the subscriber revenue equivalent to the domestic gross of Star Wars: The Force Awakens every single month guaranteed… and before they sell a single ad.

I can always watch ND football somewhere. Now ND hockey on the B10 Network would feel like going over to the dark side.

Finally, ESPN gets no sympathy from me. (Cue the Rolling Stones) A necessary evil. Probably bloated and needing correction. Balanced reporting as far as ND is concerned? Can't wait until ND is again in the position of becoming a Playoff team that might bump a B10 or SEC team or another ESPN sues ND headline.

 

[woolybug25]

What is an android box?

 

[wizards8507]

Why doesn't ESPN bundle all their channels separately from cable for $20 or so a month, stream it and keep the advertising profit? Or go in with other sports networks in a package?

Wouldn't that be something?

Disney wants to write a very big check to buy part of MLB's video streaming company - Recode

 

[Rack Em]

What is an android box?

The vag on your cell phone

 

[woolybug25]

The vag on your cell phone

Oh, that makes sense. I thought that was your mom sexting me again.

It fit on the phone, that should have been the dead giveaway.

 

[Rack Em]

Oh, that makes sense. I thought that was your mom sexting me again.

It fit on the phone, that should have been the dead giveaway.

Mine doesn't have a cell phone. Must be gk's mom.

 

[Legacy]

Wouldn't that be something?

Disney wants to write a very big check to buy part of MLB's video streaming company - Recode

No one can say ESPN does not have smart business minds guiding it. Anything else you want to share as far as the direction of the company? Still, if consumer behavior had not changed....

Disney could always spin off ESPN.

 

[ND NYC]

what about simply entering into the 2yr (tv/phone/internet) deals with TWC or a cablevision, then switching to fios...and back and forth and back and forth.


im about to go to a fios triple play...just worried about the install (have an old tudor house they may have issues running new wires etc)

 

[gkIrish]

Mine doesn't have a cell phone. Must be gk's mom.

 

[Monk]

what about simply entering into the 2yr (tv/phone/internet) deals with TWC or a cablevision, then switching to fios...and back and forth and back and forth.


im about to go to a fios triple play...just worried about the install (have an old tudor house they may have issues running new wires etc)

Some areas do not offer multiple cable suppliers. Some areas you can't get cable at all and must go with a dish company.

 

[BleedBlueGold]

Is there a way to see which channels you view the most? My wife likes to make the argument that she "needs and watches all the channels," but my hunch is she really only watches about 10 channels.

 

[wizards8507]

No one can say ESPN does not have smart business minds guiding it. Anything else you want to share as far as the direction of the company? Still, if consumer behavior had not changed....

Nothing I can share, nor can I even confirm or deny anything that was in that article. I just figured I'd point out what's "out there" in the press.

Disney could always spin off ESPN.

I don't see it happening. Disney benefits from the relationships among and between its various segments, and each segment has unique strengths and weaknesses that strengthen the portfolio. For example, Parks & Resorts are capital-intensive but provide slow and steady growth. ESPN isn't immune from the overall trends in pay television but it's uniquely position with its portfolio of sports rights. The Studio is churning out Marvel, Pixar, and Star Wars but box office success is fickle. All of these things help offset one another and keep the company on even keel.