https://www.techdirt.com/articles/201601...able.shtml

the rebellion has begun.

Way less than 44% of the country gives a sh!t about sports. Hell, the Super Bowl gets only about 35% of the country to watch.

Stock holders started figuring this out a few months ago.

Rights fees will keep going up. Netflix and others will end up getting in the mix. The growth might slow as things balance out, but FS1, NBC Sports Channel, and eventually CBS Sports will want a piece of that nugget and ESPN can't let up too much. Profit margins will just be lowered.

probably why the NFL is looking into streaming rights.

(01-21-2016 02:22 PM)Latilleon Wrote:  Rights fees will keep going up. Netflix and others will end up getting in the mix. The growth might slow as things balance out, but FS1, NBC Sports Channel, and eventually CBS Sports will want a piece of that nugget and ESPN can't let up too much. Profit margins will just be lowered.

Wrong: recent streaming surveys indicate ESPN would be first thing dropped for over 70% of customer if the could go ala carte due to cost.

I know that college sport attendance overall is down (lowest in 14years) and student attendance is shrinking yearly. So is college basketball tv viewership. Does anyone have stats on college football tv viewership trends?

(01-21-2016 02:59 PM)tiger2000 Wrote:  I know that college sport attendance overall is down (lowest in 14years) and student attendance is shrinking yearly. So is college basketball tv viewership. Does anyone have stats on college football tv viewership trends?

If the P5 gets their way and locks all other schools out of the playoff or breaks away from the NCAA all together then the bottom will probably drop out of the TV market. I know that if Memphis ends up on the outside looking in then I will stop watching college sports.

ESPN and sports in general is the only thing stopping me from streaming. That and the fact that Comcast has brought back data caps.

On the other hand, live sports are the only thing that got me running back to cable after going HD Antenna only for a year. If I could JUST pay $8 for the ESPN family, I would drop the rest of cable and stick with my antenna and the 24 or so HD channels I can get.

I'm in the 44%

(01-21-2016 02:40 PM)Penny Lane Wrote:  

(01-21-2016 02:22 PM)Latilleon Wrote:  Rights fees will keep going up. Netflix and others will end up getting in the mix. The growth might slow as things balance out, but FS1, NBC Sports Channel, and eventually CBS Sports will want a piece of that nugget and ESPN can't let up too much. Profit margins will just be lowered.

Wrong: recent streaming surveys indicate ESPN would be first thing dropped for over 70% of customer if the could go ala carte due to cost.

I was talking about rights fees paid to leagues. There is enough competition for sports programming that the fees won't drop.

(01-21-2016 03:52 PM)aardWolf Wrote:  On the other hand, live sports are the only thing that got me running back to cable after going HD Antenna only for a year. If I could JUST pay $8 for the ESPN family, I would drop the rest of cable and stick with my antenna and the 24 or so HD channels I can get.

Sling tv has ESPN and most other cable channels streaming for $20 a month

(01-21-2016 03:52 PM)aardWolf Wrote:  On the other hand, live sports are the only thing that got me running back to cable after going HD Antenna only for a year. If I could JUST pay $8 for the ESPN family, I would drop the rest of cable and stick with my antenna and the 24 or so HD channels I can get.

Me too. Chrome cast, Roku, Hulu. I cannot remember the last time I sat down to watch an episode of a show like The Flash.
Only thing I do watch when it is on regular TV is The Walking Dead.

For NFL coverage, the NFL networks are far superior. The Brandon Marshall interview this week with Adam Jones was stellar.

(01-21-2016 02:59 PM)tiger2000 Wrote:  I know that college sport attendance overall is down (lowest in 14years) and student attendance is shrinking yearly. So is college basketball tv viewership. Does anyone have stats on college football tv viewership trends?

While 70 inch home HDTV's have hurt some....some of that average is due to the 20 or so new teams that have jumped up from Div I-AA levels over past 15 years or so...almost all that average much less than historic programs.

Also, just like in pro sports, many colleges are building new facilities/arena/stadiums that in many cases are less capacity of their old ones but provide a lot more premium seating and improved amenities that have helped their revenues increase.

(01-21-2016 03:21 PM)idroot4russia Wrote:  ESPN and sports in general is the only thing stopping me from streaming. That and the fact that Comcast has brought back data caps.

me too! News was once a factor but now is easily obtained elsewhere.

I avoid ESPN as much as possible. Only watch certain games and the 30 for 30 stuff. I watch NFL network, NBAtv and MLB network when I want the pre/post game stuff. People like Ray Lewis and Jalen Rose just make my skin crawl.

(01-22-2016 10:37 AM)gusrob Wrote:  

(01-21-2016 03:21 PM)idroot4russia Wrote:  ESPN and sports in general is the only thing stopping me from streaming. That and the fact that Comcast has brought back data caps.

me too! News was once a factor but now is easily obtained elsewhere.

Live sports which ESPN dominates in stopping me from cord cutting.