Smoke your cigars and enjoy the band while you can....

[MakeItRain]

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/big12/2017/04/26/big-12-revenue-tax-return-sec/100929214/

Add in the Texas Bevo channel and they pull in more than the SEC schools, while the rest of Nu Logo are about 5-8million behind? That sound right?

That's such a stupid headline

[Panjandrum]

In all seriousness I think they (ESPN) bought a little too high. Live tv is still a huge advertising juggernaught. People will still watch the games, they ust have a lot of (hate to say it) dead weight to process over. I bet ESPN can't wait to renegotiate down the Longhorn Network, and everyone will have to settle for a little less come contract time. Everyone will get antsy, but the market will adjust, and hopefully all expansion talk will die down. Money fueled expansion, having either the same or slightly less will temper it.

I'm probably wrong, but a lot of topical shows seem to be dying out a little bit in the age of binge watching.

I'm using my own habits, obviously, but I don't watch Colbert.  I watch clips from his monologue on YouTube.  The same with Seth Meyers. 

I try to stay on top of topical podcasts, and I end up deleting half of them because I can't get around to them by the time the new episode comes out.  If you can't binge watch something, it just seems like there is a shelf life in the current environment.  If something really great happens, highlight wise, I'm getting it on Twitter or a team specific Facebook page.  Even WatchESPN has the big highlights at the top of their app so you can see them.

Hell, I don't think I've watched an episode of SportsCenter for three years or more.  I certainly haven't watched any programming outside of 30 for 30.

[BMWWcat]

Read that ESPN pays out 6 billion a year just for their content. The more people that cut cable or go to pick your own programming are going to drive the next round of contracts lower IMO. Definitely  think it's a bubble right now. Obviously we are all big sports fans, we are on a sports message board but there are A LOT of people that are not and won't want to pay for something they don't use.

[cfbandyman]

In all seriousness I think they (ESPN) bought a little too high. Live tv is still a huge advertising juggernaught. People will still watch the games, they ust have a lot of (hate to say it) dead weight to process over. I bet ESPN can't wait to renegotiate down the Longhorn Network, and everyone will have to settle for a little less come contract time. Everyone will get antsy, but the market will adjust, and hopefully all expansion talk will die down. Money fueled expansion, having either the same or slightly less will temper it.

I'm probably wrong, but a lot of topical shows seem to be dying out a little bit in the age of binge watching.

I'm using my own habits, obviously, but I don't watch Colbert.  I watch clips from his monologue on YouTube.  The same with Seth Meyers. 

I try to stay on top of topical podcasts, and I end up deleting half of them because I can't get around to them by the time the new episode comes out.  If you can't binge watch something, it just seems like there is a shelf life in the current environment.  If something really great happens, highlight wise, I'm getting it on Twitter or a team specific Facebook page.  Even WatchESPN has the big highlights at the top of their app so you can see them.

Hell, I don't think I've watched an episode of SportsCenter for three years or more.  I certainly haven't watched any programming outside of 30 for 30.

Totally in the same boat, why watch people banter about sports, I have netflix, amazon prime, youtube, etc. to watch what I want when I want it. I only watch SC after the cats win big. 30 for 30 is still pretty good, and OTL you know is human interest pieces for sports.

[sonofdaxjones]

Panj, you seem like a 150 page ppt deck kind of guy.

[Panjandrum]

Panj, you seem like a 150 page ppt deck kind of guy.

Not really.  I usually just show pictures and basic graphs/figures. 

But I've received a lot of formal training on such things.

[sonofdaxjones]

Panj, you seem like a 150 page ppt deck kind of guy.

Not really.  I usually just show pictures and basic graphs/figures. 

But I've received a lot of formal training on such things.

Interesting. 

[MakeItRain]

Read that ESPN pays out 6 billion a year just for their content. The more people that cut cable or go to pick your own programming are going to drive the next round of contracts lower IMO. Definitely  think it's a bubble right now. Obviously we are all big sports fans, we are on a sports message board but there are A LOT of people that are not and won't want to pay for something they don't use.

Live sports are the cheapest and highest rated cable programming, there's also lots and lots of competition to get this cheap, highly rated programming, there's no bubble. Amazon just paid $50 million to stream really bad football games that comes on two different networks. CBS and NBC are paying a combined half a BILLION dollars to show the same shitty, non-exclusive games.

Not to mention the parent companies of ESPN, FOX, and CBS, NBC, Turner, and HBO run about 170 billion dollars in annual revenue, they'll be fine.

[pissclams]

Read that ESPN pays out 6 billion a year just for their content. The more people that cut cable or go to pick your own programming are going to drive the next round of contracts lower IMO. Definitely  think it's a bubble right now. Obviously we are all big sports fans, we are on a sports message board but there are A LOT of people that are not and won't want to pay for something they don't use.

Live sports are the cheapest and highest rated cable programming, there's also lots and lots of competition to get this cheap, highly rated programming, there's no bubble. Amazon just paid $50 million to stream really bad football games that comes on two different networks. CBS and NBC are paying a combined half a BILLION dollars to show the same shitty, non-exclusive games.

just because companies are doing it, doesn't mean it's a good thing to do.  big businesses make bad decisions all of the time.

[TheHamburglar]

Listened for the Audible podcast on my way to work.  oscar Feldman said ESPN is basically going from 42 to 17 college football reporters.  That's a lot of bloat.  SI has 4 & Fox Sports has 2. ESPN doesn't need 3 people covering the Pac-12.  They started hiring cheap, young labor to create content, which sounds nice, but they still had to pay for them to travel.

ESPN made a bet they could become the 1-stop for all college football reporting but with that many writers/bloggers you just end up with 3 people writing the same LHC Bill Snyder story like we saw last week & "best of the conference" articles that they've cycled completely thru.  Also, I'm guessing 5 years ago they overpaid to get Brett Murphy and have over paid people like Amdy Katz to keep them from going somewhere in their 10+ years at ESPN.  They have the click data that shows while they drive some clicks, it's probably not enough to support their salaries. 

The push to make these cuts is cord cutting, but it's forcing ESPN to be better at business, not that they're failing.

[MadCat]

Almost 1200 pages...

[MakeItRain]

Read that ESPN pays out 6 billion a year just for their content. The more people that cut cable or go to pick your own programming are going to drive the next round of contracts lower IMO. Definitely  think it's a bubble right now. Obviously we are all big sports fans, we are on a sports message board but there are A LOT of people that are not and won't want to pay for something they don't use.

Live sports are the cheapest and highest rated cable programming, there's also lots and lots of competition to get this cheap, highly rated programming, there's no bubble. Amazon just paid $50 million to stream really bad football games that comes on two different networks. CBS and NBC are paying a combined half a BILLION dollars to show the same shitty, non-exclusive games.

just because companies are doing it, doesn't mean it's a good thing to do.  big businesses make bad decisions all of the time.

What isn't a good thing to do, win bids for high demand live sports?

[Clevey 2 Times]

Read that ESPN pays out 6 billion a year just for their content. The more people that cut cable or go to pick your own programming are going to drive the next round of contracts lower IMO. Definitely  think it's a bubble right now. Obviously we are all big sports fans, we are on a sports message board but there are A LOT of people that are not and won't want to pay for something they don't use.

Live sports are the cheapest and highest rated cable programming, there's also lots and lots of competition to get this cheap, highly rated programming, there's no bubble. Amazon just paid $50 million to stream really bad football games that comes on two different networks. CBS and NBC are paying a combined half a BILLION dollars to show the same shitty, non-exclusive games.

Not to mention the parent companies of ESPN, FOX, and CBS, NBC, Turner, and HBO run about 170 billion dollars in annual revenue, they'll be fine.

This.

Also, ESPN trimming reporting staff may actually be better for content. More competition over fewer spots.

[pissclams]

live sports viewership is declining and there's no bubble?  that math doesn't work.

[MadCat]

1200 pages! 

[KITNfury]

live sports viewership is declining and there's no bubble?  that math doesn't work.

It's obviously impossible to over pay.
-homebuyer circa 2006.

[BMWWcat]

https://sportsday.dallasnews.com/college-sports/collegesports/2017/05/01/paul-finebaum-think-oklahoma-wants-big-12-desperately

[Skipper44]

live sports viewership is declining and there's no bubble?  that math doesn't work.

It's obviously impossible to over pay.
-homebuyer circa 2006.

hopefully live sports are the San Fran of this bubble

[MakeItRain]

live sports viewership is declining and there's no bubble?  that math doesn't work.

Is live sports viewership declining or is how live sports are being viewed changing? Is live sports viewership declining at a more rapid rate than other television programming?

As long as there are as many outlets as we currently have that place a high value on live sports then there is no bubble to burst. There has been absolutely no evidence that the people who are bidding on live sports rights see less value in live sports.

[pissclams]

live sports viewership is declining and there's no bubble?  that math doesn't work.

There has been absolutely no evidence that the people who are bidding on live sports rights see less value in live sports.

yes there is.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-10-06/tv-networks-forced-to-give-away-ads-as-nfl-viewership-declines

[MakeItRain]

live sports viewership is declining and there's no bubble?  that math doesn't work.

There has been absolutely no evidence that the people who are bidding on live sports rights see less value in live sports.

yes there is.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-10-06/tv-networks-forced-to-give-away-ads-as-nfl-viewership-declines

And like I said people bidding on the games still see the value. Did you miss Amazon Prime paying $50 million for Thursday night streaming rights? That was five times more than what twitter paid last year. As long as there are multiple entities wanting these games, the price will continue to climb outside of COLUSION occurring to artificially draw back the fees.

[sonofdaxjones]

NFL viewership declined because the games are boring, over officiated and formulaic

[pissclams]

NFL viewership declined because the games are boring, over officiated and formulaic

and every where on every channel, every night

interest in live action sports has peaked and the millennial generation who prefers on demand content will dictate the very near future of media consumption

[Fake Sugar Dick (WARNING, NOT THE REAL SUGAR DICK!)]

Lagalized sports gambling would help

[MakeItRain]

NFL viewership declined because the games are boring, over officiated and formulaic

and every where on every channel, every night

interest in live action sports has peaked and the millennial generation who prefers on demand content will dictate the very near future of media consumption

Consuming sports "on demand" hasn't and won't work. If you have no social media and live on a oil platform in the gulf it's the bees knees though.