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Things aren't going so well in Bristol

jtnc

By jtnc,
in Carolina Panthers

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jtnc Newbie

jtnc

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ESPN may have grown into an unbeatable Goliath, as its executives spent the year telling any reporter who'd stand still long enough, but maybe the stretch marks are beginning to show. ESPN laid off hundreds two months ago, and in August it will face new competition in the form of Fox Sports 1, a network that has Goldman Sachs analysts warning folks to think twice about before buying Disney's stock. And today comes news that ESPN's ratings were significantly down from April to June this year.

 
Sports Business Daily reports that ESPN's primetime ratings dropped 32 percent this quarter over last year's. There is some explanation to the drop: Last year, ESPN carried the Heat-Celtics conference finals, a bigger draw than this year's Spurs sweep over the Grizzlies in the Western Conference finals.
 
But even with that caveat out of the way, the news for Bristol's advertising department isn't encouraging: ESPN's total-day ratings—that is, its average viewership over a 24-hour period—plunged 20 percent in the quarter over last year's numbers. That's the network's worst result in six years and the the biggest drop for any of the cable sports channels, on a percentage basis.
 
ESPN2's primetime ratings dropped 12 percent, and its total-day ratings fell to an average of 244,000 viewers a day, down from 268,000 in the same quarter last year, 266,000 the year before, and 306,000 in 2010.
 
In the first quarter of 2013? Ratings losses all around, again, for both ESPN and ESPN2.
 
What the hell? ESPN does do the lion's share of its ratings business in the second half of the year. That's when Monday Night Football kicks into gear, along with the college football season. But last year wasn't a banner year on that front, either: In 2012, ESPN and ESPN2 were down 2 and 8 percent for the year in ratings for total-day viewers, respectively. ESPN was flat in primetime ratings, and ESPN2 was down 12 percent.
 
All this has happened before the launch of Fox Sports 1, a network that may not challenge ESPN for sports-television supremacy but will at least be the nuisance to Bristol that NBC Sports Network hasn't become (worth noting: NBCSN saw gains all around in the second quarter). Late last month, Goldman Sachs downgraded ESPN's parent company Disney stock from a "conviction buy" to "neutral." The reason? Trouble on the ESPN front (Goldman estimates that ESPN accounts for 45 percent of all of Disney's operating income, which, Jesus Christ). We have a copy of the report. Here's an excerpt:
 
While we continue to view ESPN as a valuable, well-positioned asset over the long-term, in the near-term we are concerned about two issues that will likely overhang DIS. For reference, ESPN is Disney’s largest asset accounting for an estimated 45% of total company OI.
 
1) Rising competitive intensity: Fox Sports 1 will launch this August, with Fox Sports 2 to possibly follow shortly thereafter. Competition between FS1 and ESPN for sports rights will actually be limited because ESPN recently renewed most of its major contracts; the one exception is the NBA contract that expires after the 2015/16 season. However, FS1 will be competing for sports viewers and advertising dollars and this could hamper ESPN’s advertising growth. Admittedly, advertising accounts for only 25% of total revenue, but it carries a higher incremental margin and estimates could be put at risk.
 
2) Sports cost step-ups hamper OI growth, margins: New rights contracts for MLB, NFL Monday Night Football and the new BCS Championship will start in CY1Q14 and run through CY1Q15. As a result, we estimate Cable Network margins are likely to compress and Cable Network segment OI growth will slow from 12% in FY13E to 7% in FY14E and 4% in FY15E.

 

http://deadspin.com/espns-ratings-are-way-down-this-year-whats-the-matte-722030528

 

I haven't watched ESPN in months.  :cam:

 

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KendrickPanther Apprentice

KendrickPanther

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Yeah I don't want to see ESPN die but they definetly need to theory tank a new strategy. People watch ESPN because they hold all the TV rights. Nobody watches ESPN for Jaworski, Steven A, Magic, Skip Bayless, Chris Berman, and Merril Hodge. All of those personalities and many other makes me want to flip the channel. They have a strategy to appeal to young men because young men are the most easily influenced by advertising dollars. That's great, but they have completely lost touch with mature adults.

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CarolinaNCSU Proficient

CarolinaNCSU

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ESPN is great for sports in general

 

But at the same time, ESPN sucks ass in general.  The majority of viewers/fans are sadly stupid and need to be spoon fed their ideas, but not at the level at which ESPN operates IMO. 

 

The good outweighs the bad however, so I don't want to see them suffer/shrink/etc.

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Razeyfingers Newbie

Razeyfingers

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I would watch the WBNA but theres that whole "wow my highschool team was that good" aspect. Im missing the part where Im supposed to be impressed. I will watch women when they become the better pilots or drivers like physics say theyre supposed to be, but until theyre the best at a particular sport that Im interested in, no thanks.

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Steven Smiff Newbie

Steven Smiff

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I would watch the WBNA but theres that whole "wow my highschool team was that good" aspect. Im missing the part where Im supposed to be impressed. I will watch women when they become the better pilots or drivers like physics say theyre supposed to be, but until theyre the best at a particular sport that Im interested in, no thanks.

Watch that guy named Griner, he's good.

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    • tukafan21
      something to feel good about in the offseason..."could be something special brewing in Carolina"

      By tukafan21 · Posted

      Then don't tune in. It's really not a hard concept to understand, if your making your decision based on your own personal needs/feelings as opposed to what is best for the future of the franchise, then it's a you problem, not a Panthers problem. When the season is already lost, every fan should be rooting for the same thing.  The team plays hard until the final whistle of the season and keeps improving as a team and individually, but in the end, we still come up short and lose games, and preferably because the other team beat us, not because we screwed up and found a way to lose due to our own fault. Look at it this way... If we are up 1 or 2 points with 3 seconds left in the game and the other team is lining up for a FG.  Beyond the joy of victory or the disappointment of defeat, what impact does the other team making or missing the FG have on our team the following season? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING Except where we draft and what teams we play due to our finish in the division. The players and coaches on the team would have the exact same level of improvement and learnings about themselves individually and as a team whether the FG is made or missed.  The ONLY difference in the end is the record in the standings and if the win or loss number changes. If you want to argue if making the playoffs to lose in the first round or just missing them is better or worse, that's totally fair and I can at least understand the other side of it.  But in what is already a lost season, if you're not hoping your team plays well but ends up losing, then you're cutting off your nose to spite your face.  You're hoping for a moment of happiness at the detriment of the franchise's future, and in turn, you're basically then happy for a moment to only set yourself up for future further disappointment.
    • HaricotVert
      something to feel good about in the offseason..."could be something special brewing in Carolina"

      By HaricotVert · Posted

      If we’re eliminated I want the wins more.   The season is already a disappointment and if I’m not pulling for wins why bother to tune in?
    • tukafan21
      something to feel good about in the offseason..."could be something special brewing in Carolina"

      By tukafan21 · Posted

      Two things terribly wrong with this post. First is that not one time has myself or anyone else agreeing with me said that the team themselves should think that way or try and lose for positioning.  Never once have I suggested the team should purposefully lose games, ever.  I honestly can't understand why people keep saying this in posts, not one fan has ever said the players should or would purposefully try to lose. And second, is yes, that has happened and it's happened very recently.  The 2020 Bengals were 4-11-1 and then were playing in the SB the very next season.   And while it might have been 2 years later and they didn't quite get to the SB, the 2021 Lions were 3-13-1 and then the 2023 Lions were up 24-7 at halftime of the NFC Championship game. The season between those two? They finished 9-8 and only just missed the playoffs. Which is why I keep trying to compare us to the Lions in where we are at in our re-build.  Throw out Bryce's rookie year with the Reich staff who just didn't work out and he looked god awful.   This past season when we were 5-12 in Canales' 1st season is that 2021 season for the Lions and their 1st season under Campbell.  This year is their 2022 where they grew a ton and Campbell's culture building was clear, where I'm saying we'd likely be better off in the long run if we go 8-9 or 9-8 and just miss out on the playoffs (which is still a significant improvement from last year).  Then our 2026 is their 2024 when we have a chance to be a real contender after adding a few more pieces and our key players having another year of experience under their belts.
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