ESPN is cutting back in expenses. Colin Cowherd is leaving ESPN to go to Fox Sports – that is not a promotion.
Mike and Mike will not be moving to New York City after all. Even though America loves Sports, blathering on about deflated footballs, and Bruce Jenner’s balls must be driving radio listeners away
Sports has been invaded by bad sportscasters. Basically people who think that their own experience in sports gives them an edge over anyone else. Add that to the lesbians that enjoy men’s locker rooms and you have something only “Fantasy League” people watch because they need the stats to count their winnings.
Yes, but we all pay for it in our cable bills. Disney makes more from the cable companies collecting ESPN for everyone with cable than they do for their theme parks (where admission is $100 per day).
I think I saw the figure that your cable company has to pay ESPN about $6.50 a month. Disney also owns ABC TV, of course and several of the cable-only channels. Disney has a lot to lose as people leave cable and buy only the “channels” they want (Netflix, Hulu, HBO Now). (Hearst is a minority owner of ESPN)
In related news, WLS-AM is effectively ending being a News/Talk station. They just signed deals to carry both Chicago White Sox games and the Chicago Bulls. Basketball is a sport horribly incompatible with Radio.
http://www.insideradio.com/free/wls-makes-two-big-chicago-sports-scores/article_d70b4f20-2c5e-11e5-aec4-9f80cd7b1aab.html?mode=jqm
The related part is the Bulls are currently heard on ESPN’s station WMVP (only a few ESPN radio affiliates are owned by ESPN itself). Perhaps ESPN is looking to sell the station to Carlos Slim or or maybe Chinese Radio International.
Colin took the early exit ramp from ESPN by making the “outrageous” statement that 1/3 of baseball is coming from the Dominican Republic
http://www.insideradio.com/free/espn-ejects-colin-cowherd-for-comments-on-dominicans/article_0df64340-3255-11e5-a441-07ae66f50392.html?mode=jqm
An obvious lie! Only 298 MLB pitchers have been from the Dominican Republic!
http://www.baseball-reference.com/bio/D-R-_born.shtml
For bonus reading
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/03/baseball-dominican-system-yewri-guillen
ESPN is threatening affiliates who pick up Cowherd on Fox. Other than Mike & Mike, I’m thinking few people know who is on ESPN radio any more