How do you figure?

DKGO is complaining about the new Smith/Hill show. I compared the ratings in April on a bunch of days for this year vs last year 6 PM SportsCenter and they're actually higher most days despite the fact that ratings for the PTI lead in are way down. An article from Feb on early ratings for SC6 had them down 9% year over year, but the PTI lead in was down 16%, as well as ratings across the board.

Let's also consider the fact that the 6 PM SportsCenter gets under a million viewers and ESPN has like 87 million subscribers that pay their fee, of which they derive a majority of their revenue from.

Since 2011, ESPN subscribers are down 12%, which cable subscribers as a whole are down 16%. This is trending downward and ESPN still is paying absurd rights for TV deals (for which ratings are declining). Surely, most people who are right-leaning politically are not going to stop watching MNF due to not liking daily programming on espn. Not to mention, even if they stopped watching, unless they cancelled their cable or repackaged to something without ESPN, ESPN still makes money off of them. How many people do you know have literally cut the cord because they hate watching ESPN social justice? A fraction of the people that have cable even watch ESPN to begin with.

The political stuff is a negligible issue from a $$ standpoint. They've been bleeding subscribers for years and years before these criticisms of being too far left even started. Less people get cable, period, couple that with rising fixed costs and the network isn't financially viable.

Any reason why this is being done on a Wed AM rather than Fri AM? End of pay cycle I guess?

Oh and Danny Kanell can go **** off w/ that quote.

whacking some of the decent writers just to save **** on air personalities

same as it ever was.

espn not gonna have much in terms of decent content soon.

Danny Kanell gone at least.

Que? Are we talking fate fate? Because I'm not sure St Pete usually makes that info public.

meanwhile espn currently airing NBA players drawn on an etch a sketch by mina kimes

why are they struggling? I can't figure it out.

Also fired almost everyone covering NHL during the NHL playoffs.

espn didn't figure out all people want from them is sports talk. Everyone's tired of the 2 people yell at each other over stupid **** stuff. Especially when one's obviously wrong but "fairness" and all that nonsense.

You're the worst

I definitely watch sports almost exclusively to enjoy the lack of social justice (while eating bread)

If you are a white male working in sports, especially without a professional athlete background, your days are numbered. ESPN has basically told everyone they are turning the ship over to women and minorities... All for diversity but a bit jarring how blatant they've become about it.

Oh lawdie, here comes the racists

Something's really gone haywire if you're doing the firings now, in the teeth of 2 leagues' playoffs and the opening month of a 3rd. July or August when nothing's going on? That'd make sense, that'd allow for whoever's left to set up next season's coverage. Now?

HE'S ALL FOR DIVERSITY GUYS!

Am I the only one who's underwhelmed by the firings? I recognize 3 of the names, and ones lol_baseball

ESPN lost all credibility when it decided to go away from sports news to becoming in bed with the athletes. They wanted to become the jock sniffers that they are now. There is nothing wrong with that, they went away from being journalists to only writing news that supports whatever league or athlete they have deals with. So like the WWE, they are going to emphasive the Entertainment part of their company, and fire everybody and start over.

BTW why does Jemele Hill talk different now then she did when she first started on ESPN. Seems like she is trying way too hard imo.

This reminds me of hard knocks when guys are ****ting bricks just waiting to hear if they made the 53 man roster

trent dilfer OUT

lmao

LOL ESPN. Fire Jayson Stark but keep Stephen A Smith. Sounds about right.

Oh lawdie, here comes a dumb post with no substance other than to be inflammatory.

FYP.

ultimately there's a lot of people capable of providing sports content. unless you're a juggernaut of talent you're going to be marginalized as there's fewer barriers to entry and more competition. being a former athlete is a way to distinguish yourself, but those guys lose their luster over time if they suck. sup dilfer.

there's more good content in sports now than ever (though you need to filter out the BS). espn firing some "good journalists" is just the cycle of life.

i don't see why ESPN personalities being fired is more tragic than danny leroux and nate duncan working for peanuts (presumably)

absolutely. I don't disagree.

Anyone confused about what is happening or finds themselves talking about SJW stuff should just read what Mullen has written.

They are losing money and need to lay people off, like most things ESPN, I'm sure they will make terrible decisions in this.

Stephen A Smith is the truth guys. Have to layoff real journalists to pay his salary.