Way OT: Your ESPN consumption

[Dr. von Yinzer]

I watch it far less now than ever before because they devote an awful lot of their resources to covering the NBA and the various dramas therein, and I have no interest in that league whatsoever. I certainly don’t care whether or not Draymond Green and Kevin Durant like each other?

With Kobe Bryant recently dying, I couldn’t help but remember that for years that all anyone ever talked about with the guy was his fractious relationship with Shaquille O’Neal and how they didn’t like each other.

Who the eff cares?!

They are coworkers, nothing more. I have plenty of coworkers that I don’t like or who don’t like me. However, we work together just fine.

Would you care if you find out that Patrick Mahomes and Tyreek Hill have a strained relationship? Would you care if you found out that say, Mike Trout and the Angels’ first baseman didn’t get along? Why on earth would you or anyone else care about that?

And yet, that is a constant storyline we are fed in the the NBA, mostly through ESPN. “Oh, Bryan Windhorse is reporting that So-and-So and Such-and-Such don’t get along very well and rarely have dinner together on the road.”

Who. Effing. Cares?!

Also, with the way baseball’s economics have gone, I’ve become increasingly less interested in that sport. And with the way the Pirates run their organization, I’ve become increasingly less interested in that team.

Therefore, I don’t watch ESPN at all in the summer because really, there’s no need.

That basically just leaves football and if there’s not a game on, I can get better, more entertaining and more sophisticated analysis elsewhere.

I don’t watch College Football Game Day because it’s basically all Big Ten and especially SEC talk these days.

NFL Countdown used to be a staple of my Sunday pregame routine. However, somewhere along the line, that show also got way, way worse and turned into players and former players prank calling and pulling practical jokes on each other and a lot of bro hug’s and suit critiques and other nonsense.

It’s just not for me.

The analysis is nonexistent and neither is the humor. It’s now basically a bunch of platitudes, predictions and highlights of high school kids making an array of nice catches and everyone congratulating Randy Moss for it for some reason.

 

[ChazzMo]

Down.

I really am not an NBA fan and for large stretches of the year it feels like that is their main programming.

 

[Ski11585]

I watch it far less now than ever before because they devote an awful lot of their resources to covering the NBA and the various dramas therein, and I have no interest in that league whatsoever. I certainly don’t care whether or not Draymond Green and Kevin Durant like each other?

With Kobe Bryant recently dying, I couldn’t help but remember that for years that all anyone ever talked about with the guy was his fractious relationship with Shaquille O’Neal and how they didn’t like each other.

Who the eff cares?!

They are coworkers, nothing more. I have plenty of coworkers that I don’t like or who don’t like me. However, we work together just fine.

Would you care if you find out that Patrick Mahomes and Tyreek Hill have a strained relationship? Would you care if you found out that say, Mike Trout and the Angels’ first baseman didn’t get along? Why on earth would you or anyone else care about that?

And yet, that is a constant storyline we are fed in the the NBA, mostly through ESPN. “Oh, Bryan Windhorse is reporting that So-and-So and Such-and-Such don’t get along very well and rarely have dinner together on the road.”

Who. Effing. Cares?!

Also, with the way baseball’s economics have gone, I’ve become increasingly less interested in that sport. And with the way the Pirates run their organization, I’ve become increasingly less interested in that team.

Therefore, I don’t watch ESPN at all in the summer because really, there’s no need.

That basically just leaves football and if there’s not a game on, I can get better, more entertaining and more sophisticated analysis elsewhere.

I don’t watch College Football Game Day because it’s basically all Big Ten and especially SEC talk these days.

NFL Countdown used to be a staple of my Sunday pregame routine. However, somewhere along the line, that show also got way, way worse and turned into players and former players prank calling and pulling practical jokes on each other and a lot of bro hug’s and suit critiques and other nonsense.

It’s just not for me.

The analysis is nonexistent and neither is the humor. It’s now basically a bunch of platitudes, predictions and highlights of high school kids making an array of nice catches and everyone congratulating Randy Moss for it for some reason.

Down.

I really am not an NBA fan and for large stretches of the year it feels like that is their main programming.

Again. There are six hours of dedicated NBA time a week. We are in the middle of a highly competitive NBA season. What else would you expect them to cover? When it’s the middle of football season all the talk is about football. Isn’t that how it should work?

 

[PittFamily2]

Again. There are six hours of dedicated NBA time a week. We are in the middle of a highly competitive NBA season. What else would you expect them to cover? When it’s the middle of football season all the talk is about football. Isn’t that how it should work?

I cant remember the last time I watched ESPN.
They're on my Do Not Watch List.
Agree with you it is basketball season, NBA and college.

Whether its football, basketball, or baseball discuss the game and leave out the politics and drama. IMO most sports viewers today are team focused and don't identify or attach themselves with players like they used to. That's just my opinion.

To be honest the drama and relationship stuff changes fast and belongs in Tabloids or the Enquirer.

There's lots of great game related stuff to be discussed which is discussed on other sports networks I watch.

ESPN veered off the road sports broadcasting road injecting politics, and other topics into their programming.

But sounds like you like it which is fine so they have you as a lifetime viewer.

Lots of sports broadcasting choices out there!

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

Again. There are six hours of dedicated NBA time a week. We are in the middle of a highly competitive NBA season. What else would you expect them to cover? When it’s the middle of football season all the talk is about football. Isn’t that how it should work?

Dedicated hours maybe, but you can't discount the fact that on many days 80-90% of the shows like PTI and Around the Horn are talking about the NBA. Which if you are an NBA fan is great, but if you'd rather hear about hockey or college basketball or whatever, not so much.

 

[Dr. von Yinzer]

Again. There are six hours of dedicated NBA time a week. We are in the middle of a highly competitive NBA season. What else would you expect them to cover? When it’s the middle of football season all the talk is about football. Isn’t that how it should work?

Yes, that is absolutely how it should work and I completely understand it. We are just also in the heart of college basketball season and hockey season and there’s just not as much coverage of those sports – which are of greater interest to me.

Therefore, personally, I spend more time seeking out information on those sports which takes me away from ESPN. In fairness, ESPN is a solid source for college basketball information. However, it is a terrible source for hockey information.

Also, it’s not even the sheer volume of NBA coverage they give so much as how they cover the league that is so frustrating to me.

I could become an NBA fan to at least some degree based on the quality of the basket. The shot making at that level it’s unbelievable. Everyone can seemingly score from just about anywhere on the floor. The athleticism is also off the charts.

However, it also seems like such an incredibly petty, childish, and selfish world and I just can’t identify with it. Or at least that is how it is covered by ESPN.

“So and So felt snubbed because Such and Such did not invite him to his birthday party at a local club.”

“He and He wants more touches but he can’t get them because he and the coach had a verbal dispute in the tunnel two weeks ago and the coach is harboring resentment.”

It just seems so over-the-top and so childish and I just can’t embrace it. Now, is it any less childish than the other major sports? I have no idea? I just know they are not covered in that same way.

Had Antonio Brown acted the way he has acted as an NBA player, I don’t think people would look at him as being so dysfunctional. They would point to his extreme talent and move on.

It’s just too much for me. However, as someone else said, I’m now in my 40s, so the cold hard truth is I’m not part of their target audience. I simply don’t matter. I’m just answering the question.

 

[Zeldas Open Roof]

I’m going to go out on a limb and say that ESPN pays their bills on live game content and the rest of it is just “filler” stuff that very few people actuelly watch.


I used to watch sports enter when highlight shows were still relevant but that format style show has been passed by years ago.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

Again. There are six hours of dedicated NBA time a week. We are in the middle of a highly competitive NBA season. What else would you expect them to cover? When it’s the middle of football season all the talk is about football. Isn’t that how it should work?

Ski,

What you are not getting, as so many of us have pointed out, it is not the "dedicated" NBA shows, it is the shows that are supposedly about sports today, and they are dominated by NBA talk. In some cases, in many, ESPN represents the 2016 DNC election strategy, NYC/DC/Boston and California, the hell with the rest of the country.

I mean I heard Lebron obsession in the middle of August!!! I get it, the people they hire are NBA fans first, they are urban, the network has invested alot with their NBA contract, but it is too much. It would be like TSN in Canada with their hockey. Even their non hockey programming is centered around hockey.

Again, how many of us in this thread are saying this? Sure there are some NBA haters, but again it is just.....way over the top.

And Doc also nailed it. I don't care which teammates are acting like 13 year old girls towards each other. Sportscenter has become diminished, we can get highlights from many sources, so they go off the rails. And...I know you and I will disagree here, but ESPN's social justice crusade is smothering and goes off the rails (see Garrett, Myles) and it turns off much of America.

It is not what it once was, and I don't mean that in a good way.

 

[HopeandChangeforAntoons]

I watch more in football season, especially college games. But I’ll watch hoops games (even NBA) and baseball. I have never liked PTI type shows. I haven’t watched Sportscenter in years, but that is also because the content is available online on demand. The only shows that I watch are probably NFL and college game day.

 

[Ski11585]

Ski,

What you are not getting, as so many of us have pointed out, it is not the "dedicated" NBA shows, it is the shows that are supposedly about sports today, and they are dominated by NBA talk. In some cases, in many, ESPN represents the 2016 DNC election strategy, NYC/DC/Boston and California, the hell with the rest of the country.

I mean I heard Lebron obsession in the middle of August!!! I get it, the people they hire are NBA fans first, they are urban, the network has invested alot with their NBA contract, but it is too much. It would be like TSN in Canada with their hockey. Even their non hockey programming is centered around hockey.

Again, how many of us in this thread are saying this? Sure there are some NBA haters, but again it is just.....way over the top.

And Doc also nailed it. I don't care which teammates are acting like 13 year old girls towards each other. Sportscenter has become diminished, we can get highlights from many sources, so they go off the rails. And...I know you and I will disagree here, but ESPN's social justice crusade is smothering and goes off the rails (see Garrett, Myles) and it turns off much of America.

It is not what it once was, and I don't mean that in a good way.

Sure. I can understand that. I just suppose that's no different to me than the over the top coverage of the NFL year round. Or college football.

I imagine at the end of the day, if ESPN covers a sport or topic we are invested in, we don't mind the coverage.

 

[Dr. von Yinzer]

ESPN was basically bidding against itself when it landed the NBA contract and they waaaaay overpaid.

In fact, a lot of people believe that’s what triggered the mass of layoffs a few years back.

I remember reading at the time that they knew they had overpaid for the contract but they thought they needed to do that to attract a younger and more diverse audience. They were fearful that their “audience was aging. Honestly, they’re probably right

I remember reading at the time that they knew they had overpaid for that contract but they thought they needed to do whatever they had to do to attract a younger and more diverse audience. They were fearful that their core audience was aging. Honestly, they were probably right.

I think that also explains the nature of their coverage and why they spend so much time during the football games commenting on the relative quality of guys‘ suits as they enter the stadium.

However, I think they've gone too far the other way and have alienated people like me, who are not that easily alienated.

However, if you’re not a super fan of fake arguments, SEC football the NBA or MLB and that represents roughly 75% of their sports coverage, of course you’re not going to watch.

 

[pittdan77]

Was a tradition in college to gather and watch sportscenter at night.

Now, I can't be bothered. ESPN became something of a long running commercial with their talk shows -- and even sportscenter -- to hype whatever game or league they host.

 

[HopeandChangeforAntoons]

Assumed that everyone switched to ACCN.

 

[cease10]

I agree that ESPN has gone way over the top with the off the field coverage in ALL sports.

That has definitely turned me off the most.

 

[NTOP]

When is was in college I passed out every night hammered to the 11 pm sports center being re run at 2am.
Only watch College Football now and Pitt basketball other than that none.

I travelled for biz, a lot in the 80's & 90's. Often woke up at 2-3; AM to turn off the 6th replay of SC. Clancy or Ludlum epic in my hands. LOL.

 

[PittFamily2]

Disney CEO Bob Iger defends ESPN against charges of political bias
The very top of Disney is fighting back against allegations of ESPN's political bias.

A true sports network shouldn't have to discuss something like this because it should never happen.

Noone wants to listen to political viewpoints when watching a sports show. ESPN should should cover all sports not
just what its viewing base likes which is the NBA.
By doing that it might expand its viewership.

Its turned into CNN or MSNBC with some sports talk mixed in..

The viewing sports events is different but I've found other ways to watch what I like and skip ESPN.

 

[palpitt]

Feel free to take this informal survey:

Has your consumption of ESPN gone up or down over the last 10-20 years and what are your reasons for the change, if any?

Down. It has become WAY too political(ly correct).

 

[RaleighPittFan]

I don't think I've been to their website in years, either. They lost me there when they started the "Insider" stuff. I don't see the value in paying for that content.

As an aside, I haven't clicked on FoxSports website since they did away with written content, and only showed video clips.

 

[Rockyhound]

Feel free to take this informal survey:

Has your consumption of ESPN gone up or down over the last 10-20 years and what are your reasons for the change, if any?

Way down. With family obligations my sports consumption as a whole went way down. I really only take time to sit and watch college football now. And really only Pitt games.

Once college football is over I really don't tune into ESPN.

 

[SoufOaklin4Life]

Dedicated hours maybe, but you can't discount the fact that on many days 80-90% of the shows like PTI and Around the Horn are talking about the NBA. Which if you are an NBA fan is great, but if you'd rather hear about hockey or college basketball or whatever, not so much.

It’s almost like they have a contract with the nba for content .

 

[Upg bobcat]

Are we counting ACCN as part of watching ESPN? In terms of watching the non-live sports programming, the amount of ESPN I watch is way down from 10-15 years ago.

I agree with those saying there is currently too much NBA coverage, and too much of a focus on the major cities (which is also an NBA problem).

 

[Ski11585]

Something tells me this exact same thread on a Marquette board would get very different replies.

 

[Pitt79]

I watch ESPN channels as much as I ever did, as I always, I just watch SPORTS EVENTS, none of their "shows", I never did. Currently, if there's a Pitt basketball game on there I watch it. I watch some soccer they show, International or MLS, Pitt football in the fall. lately I've been watching the XFL too, and NFL football when they show that. But I never watch their talk shows.

 

[Pitt79]

And I have to say, I watch college basketball, but lost interest in the NBA after the Bulls dynasty, the games seem too much like shooting and dunk contests. College basketball has more strategy etc.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

It’s almost like they have a contract with the nba for content .

I completely understand why they do it. As someone who prefers college basketball and the NHL I am obviously not a part of their target audience. That's Ok. Plenty of other choices out there.

 

[SoufOaklin4Life]

I completely understand why they do it. As someone who prefers college basketball and the NHL I am obviously not a part of their target audience. That's Ok. Plenty of other choices out there.

I’m with you and said a similar sentiment above

 

[PharMorNightStocker]

Loved it when it was just sports and sport highlights. I would watch the same hour-long episode of Sports Center three times a day and not think twice. But now it feels they try to tell me what I should like (or maybe it's just the fact that I don't identify with their presentation at all, but there is a huge disconnect). To which I say good day; I will take my viewership elsewhere. Sorry, but I don't need the manufactured drama, pseudo investigative journalism, and interviews galore. I watch sports to get away from all that crap.

They've also branched out to sports I just don't care about. If they're in demand, more power to them. But I personally don't care to read about the latest MMA/WNBA news on the bottom line. And I'm not big into the NBA at all, so there's that (as others have mentioned, they are way over the top with it). I watch ESPN when there is a sporting event I want to see, but absolutely no other time.

 

[happjack]

ESPN is paying billions for NBA rights so

I completely understand why they do it. As someone who prefers college basketball and the NHL I am obviously not a part of their target audience. That's Ok. Plenty of other choices out there.

The NHL could have gotten similar coverage on ESPN but they decided to go to the cable hinterland of the Outdoor Life Network/Versus/NBC Sports Network.

 

[pitt90seven]

If we're counting live games on TV and streaming it's way up just because of college football and basketball. If we're just talking their regular programming that would be zero.

you didn't have an "in" with the matador?

 

[pitt90seven]

just so you guys know: the nba moves the needle massively for any sports media. only the NFL is higher. hence the reason it dominates the largest media provider when football is in the off-season.

 

[BuffetParrothead]

I dont watch ESPN today.

It was my go to sports network back in 1979 when it launched
My go to beer at that time was Miller Lite when it was launched in 1975, we didn't get it until 1976.

I had just come off some great college wrestling seasons in 1972 & 1973, and AAU wrestling after that so it was great times.

The only thing that survived as great from that time to now was the Miller Lite?

Funny how that works out?

 

[PantherBeliever]

you didn't have an "in" with the matador?

I won't lie, sometimes if there's a sporting event on and hold'em comes on after, I find myself watching and forgetting to change the channel to the other thing I wanted to watch haha.

 

[ChazzMo]

Again. There are six hours of dedicated NBA time a week. We are in the middle of a highly competitive NBA season. What else would you expect them to cover? When it’s the middle of football season all the talk is about football. Isn’t that how it should work?

Jeezus, excuse me for not being all agog over the NBA.

 

[NTOP]

I dont watch ESPN today.

It was my go to sports network back in 1979 when it launched
My go to beer at that time was Miller Lite when it was launched in 1975, we didn't get it until 1976.

I had just come off some great college wrestling seasons in 1972 & 1973, and AAU wrestling after that so it was great times.

The only thing that survived as great from that time to now was the Miller Lite?

Funny how that works out?

Miller Lite.....chick beer. Well, cockroaches have been around longer.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

Sure. I can understand that. I just suppose that's no different to me than the over the top coverage of the NFL year round. Or college football.

I imagine at the end of the day, if ESPN covers a sport or topic we are invested in, we don't mind the coverage.

NFL and NBA. I don't know if they over cover College football so much, except during the season. However, it is pretty much 8-10 teams that matter.

I just think sports should be covered in season and then in offseason, events (like draft or trades) but ESPN seems to go way out of the way drumming the NBA and NFL.

And now they cover MMA....yuck. Talk about lowest common denominator.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

just so you guys know: the nba moves the needle massively for any sports media. only the NFL is higher. hence the reason it dominates the largest media provider when football is in the off-season.

Does it? We need someone on this. Joe? Numbers please?

 

[Ski11585]

Jeezus, excuse me for not being all agog over the NBA.

Hey. If the 15th consecutive hour of NFL free agency speculation gets you going more power to you.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

Does it? We need someone on this. Joe? Numbers please?

The NBA's needle is on 11.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

The NHL could have gotten similar coverage on ESPN but they decided to go to the cable hinterland of the Outdoor Life Network/Versus/NBC Sports Network.

To be fair though, even when ESPN did show the NHL it still wasn't a priority.

Now they have pretty much pushed NHL highlights to ESPN+, so it's clear that they don't care. And as I said, that's OK.

 

[pitt90seven]

Does it? We need someone on this. Joe? Numbers please?

people in pittsburgh are in a bubble and think no one cares about the NBA, which is wildly inaccurate.

To be fair though, even when ESPN did show the NHL it still wasn't a priority.

Now they have pretty much pushed NHL highlights to ESPN+, so it's clear that they don't care. And as I said, that's OK.

the NHL couldn't even get a national broadcaster a few years ago. hockey isn't remotely on the radar for a national program. i'm not knocking hockey - it's just pittsburgh is basically the polar opposite of the most of the country.