They theoretically would be making up that difference with their espn+ platform. It doesn't seem to be enough though. I just think besides their live sports most of their type of programming can be found in a million different locations now.

ESPN peaked at 99 million subscribers back in 2013.. That was an impossible number to sustain because the advent of streaming changed the way the world watched and watches TV.

ESPN still has more than 82 million subscribers and ESPN+ has 12.1 million.

The news of their death has been greatly exaggerated.

And Chris Berman gets a contract extension from ESPN today...

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Happy birthday, Chris Berman - &amp; congrats on your new multi-year ESPN extension!<br><br>His continuing roles include:<br>🏈 NFL PrimeTime on ESPN+<br>🏈 NFL PrimeTime on ESPN after Super Bowl &amp; <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NFL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NFL</a> Conference Championship games<br>🏈 SportsCenter &amp; beyond<br><br>Details: <a href="https://t.co/XQu5WBkYL3">https://t.co/XQu5WBkYL3</a> <a href="https://t.co/NxuZWMSsmZ">pic.twitter.com/NxuZWMSsmZ</a></p>&mdash; ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNPR/status/1391861927794651136?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 10, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Wrong, as usual.

ESPN is skewing younger. Kenny Mayne, as good as he was at his peak, is 61 years old and has been with the network for 27 years.

It was time for them to move on.

Chris Berman is 100 years old.

I would hazard a guess that there is also quite a bit of overlap on those two figures. But thats basically what I was trying to say as well. But they themselves seem to be leading the narrative when they keep doing 'massive' layoffs.

Berman is also the face of ESPN Football.

He'll be at ESPN as long as he wants.

If you're referring to ESPN and ESPN+, no, they are reported separately.

So, nobody that watches espn but also subscribes to espn+ gets counted in both figures? I dont believe it.

Dude, JFC, I ****ing hired one their Directors of Finance 18 years ago as junior financial analyst at Paramount. I don't pull shit out of my ass when talking about ANYTHING in the entertainment business.

You can believe whatever you want to believe but NO, those subscribers numbers are NOT mixed. If you're so concerned, do a ****ing Google search, where you'll find historical data and charts within minutes.

ESPN is still the premiere sports viewing network.

Now their radio network has been in some trouble. Mike Greenberg coming back helped plug the water hole in the dam but they were losing affilates left and right when they got rid of Golic Sr. and then Will Cain rebuilt their afternoon lineup and he went to FOX News.

Yeah and what people don’t seem to understand, it’s that ESPN is as ubiquitous as NBC, ABC, FOX and CBS.

All of those networks change leadership and staff all the time. You’re only as good as your best ratings and success and if it’s not working, changes are made. Anyone can read about this these days because the Hollywood Reporter and Variety are online, it’s just that most don’t care which creative was just fired at NBC.

I hate I have to pay 5 bucks a month for shitty espn plus and 70 bucks for the payperview MMA fights

Espn get rid of solid people and replace them with most non talented people. I mean dan lebetard cpspelling. Kenny mayne dan patrick you can't just replace good talent.

You could be right, because you are right quite a bit. BUT, you pull shit out of your ass all the time. And then throw around titles like they mean something.

ESPN murdered Stu Scott

Personally for me it is the politics. I consider myself a Libertarian so i have left leaning sympathies but, I do not turn into sports shows to see the same shit the main stream media is pushing. When i want politics i watch politics. When i want sports, now i usually just get on Chiefsplanet.

Did they let Dan Patrick go or did he choose to leave on his own? Big difference between the two.

Le batard was no loss. He had gotten to the point of using his show primarily for political discussion. Very little actual sports was discussed, unless it was local to the Miami area

Hopefully Max Kellerman gets the axe soon.

Him and Stephen A. Smith. Neither bring any value.

I don't understand the Berman hate, maybe it's just nostalgia from when I was a kid and the home run derby, but he's far from the worst talking head on that shitty network.

Pretty sure that's one of the highest rated shows. At least it used to be.

And it's because people are ****ing dumb.

Has a little to do with politics.
A lot to do with cord cutters.
A lot to do with younger people not giving a shit about sports at anywhere near the level our elders do.

Well....he is a GIANT Prick.

He could be an axe murderer for all I know but other networks have had 30 years to create a highlight show that could rival NFL Primetime and none of them can come close.

He WAS the face of ESPN football, but not anymore.

He is essentially off the air now and doesn’t host any of their high profile NFL programming... Sunday NFL Countdown, Monday NFL Countdown, the NFL Draft, etc.

Have you watched him lately on anything that isn't completely scripted?

He's very annoying and loud. His schtick is 20 years in past.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9JJ9i37dZiw?start=2" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

ESPN+ is growing quickly, in part because of Chris Berman and Prime Time.

I watch it every week and really missed it while Berman was "retired".

It's still the best weekly wrap up show, IMO, and by a wide margin. Inside The NFL on Showtime pales in comparison to the program it was in the 80's and 90's while on HBO.

Primetime is still great but Berman live is a disaster. His schtick is much better scripted than delivered ad lib.

People talk about politics or cord cutters and all that stuff, and what gets ignored is ESPN is now paying $2.7 billion per year to have the NFL. They pay $1.4 billion for the NBA and that's probably going up in a few years. Then they're going to pay about a billion dollars a year for MLB and the NHL. And that doesn't even count college sports.

Although to be fair cord cutters is part of that. Live sports draws viewers so that's what they're spending money on, and not the talent to cover and call the games.

Yeah, he certainly does not have the same delivery as when he was in his prime but I still find it more entertaining than any of the other wrap up show.

ESPN just wanted Kenny Mayne out, for whatever reason. They offered him a 61% pay reduction to stay and he chose to leave and it had absolutely nothing to do with cuts.

As for ESPN+, I'm actually surprised that their subscriber rates are currently at 12.1 million. I've been a Disney+ Bundle subscriber since launch because it was such a great deal to have Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN+ for only $12.99 (now $13.99). I switched over to the Ad-Free bundle around June of last year and I still think it's the best value of any of the existing streamers.

Considering that paid Disney+ subscriptions are nearing 100 million, it's kind of shocking that only around 12% have purchased the bundle.

I have the ad-free bundle as well and agree - it's the best value in streaming right now.

And my problem with Berman is that players bumbling and stumbling is one thing but when he goes off script, it's the same one liners over and over again.

man, Primtime with Berman and TJ was sooooo good back in the day.

hard to imagine back in the day, I used to tune into Primtime just to see what else happened around the league that day before all the Monday morning newspaper articles etc. man...times have changed lol.

man, Primtime with Berman and TJ was sooooo good back in the day.

hard to imagine back in the day, I used to tune into Primtime just to see what else happened around the league that day before all the Monday morning newspaper articles etc. man...times have changed lol.

All true and technology/media expansion has played a huge role.

In the old days all we had was ESPN and local news to see sports updates. Now there are channels dedicated specifically to NFL/MLB/NBA, plus online and on social media.

Why watch a show that has little bits of everything when we can just see exactly what we want?

Yep. That's why I have the Hulu bundle. I use my ESPN+ subscription to read insider articles and watch football specific programming. I have no real interest in any other sports so if I'm just going to watch live TV, it's going to be NFL Network.

Absolutely this.

"HE - COULD - GO - ALL - THE - WAY"

"Sandieago super chargers"

Have to agree here. I understand it is almost 100% a factor of nostalgia, but there is something special about the age before NFL Redzone and up to the minute stat updates on fantasy football when NFL Primetime was the best way to get highlights at the end of a Sunday.

I recently found that I have been watching this YouTube channel who has playlists of the highlights of every game for seasons in the 1990s and enjoying it immensely while we are in a dead NFL season.

https://youtube.com/channel/UCwbDbwZVwhpet_ZoAeH1MZw

Off script...much, much better! You’re with me, leather.

Hard to say how big a part it is but I'll bet it's more than just a small part. You're correct in your assessment but I think you're underestimating the negative effects of the constant woke bs. Hell, the NBA has suffered because they went all woke last year. I love the NBA but I stopped watching last year because I couldn't stand that shit.

Just my 0.02.

I wouldn't be surprised if their numbers jumped up right around when they made all the articles from any columnist worth a damn espn+ only.

Meadowlark Media coming in hot and scooping up ESPN "talent".

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Best decision with the best people (hi, <a href="https://twitter.com/tomhaberstroh?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@tomhaberstroh</a>) to make the coolest stuff. It&#39;s actually that simple. Thank you, <a href="https://twitter.com/LeBatardShow?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LeBatardShow</a>. <a href="https://t.co/H5TZco6vBA">https://t.co/H5TZco6vBA</a></p>&mdash; Kate bundle of sticksan (@katebundle of sticksan3) <a href="https://twitter.com/katebundle of sticksan3/status/1395003622618959872?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Meadowlark announces ‘The Jim Brockmire Podcast’, with in-character Hank Azaria interviewing sports media luminaries <a href="https://t.co/1Mh5znetSi">https://t.co/1Mh5znetSi</a> <a href="https://t.co/FQW0eb3jBO">pic.twitter.com/FQW0eb3jBO</a></p>&mdash; Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) <a href="https://twitter.com/awfulannouncing/status/1372247501881757699?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 17, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Adnan Virk is joining Meadowlark Media as a contributor, bringing his Cinephile podcast to the &quot;Le Batard and Friends&quot; network <a href="https://t.co/sPa1FVLcrX">https://t.co/sPa1FVLcrX</a> <a href="https://t.co/4IR9im4Mqj">pic.twitter.com/4IR9im4Mqj</a></p>&mdash; Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) <a href="https://twitter.com/awfulannouncing/status/1380162737800671240?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 8, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SouthBeachSessions?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SouthBeachSessions</a> Mike Schur aka <a href="https://twitter.com/KenTremendous?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KenTremendous</a> (Writer for Saturday Night Live and The Office and creator of Parks And Recreation, Brooklyn 99, and The Good Place) explains why he has officially joined Meadowlark Media alongside <a href="https://twitter.com/jemelehill?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jemelehill</a> !!!!<br>��*☠️ <a href="https://t.co/LCu6bvpitB">https://t.co/LCu6bvpitB</a></p>&mdash; Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz (@LeBatardShow) <a href="https://twitter.com/LeBatardShow/status/1374743782965526529?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 24, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

I like azaria and adnan. I liked lebatard and stugotz. I liked jamele when she was on that one show with michael smith (not sportscenter) but not been a fan of her since.

Dude, that was 20 years ago.

He's ****ing senile now.

So, LeBatard got crossways with ESPN, and is now hiring all the people ESPN fires? Did I miss anything?

Lmao @ Katie bundle of sticksan word filter

Also Jemele Hill threw in the towel on being the female Tariq Nasheed and is back to sports talk?

Kenny Mayne’s last night is tonight.

Just had a great interview with Aaron Rodgers.

Another big round of ESPN layoffs coming, as part of Disney laying off 7,000 employees.

Second longest tenured employee at ESPN... their Vice President of Corporate Communications who had been with the company for 43 years laid off today.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">My final statement as ESPN Spokesperson: “43 Amazing Years. Wow. We wish him well.” <a href="https://t.co/qaWi807zBR">https://t.co/qaWi807zBR</a></p>&mdash; Mike Soltys (@espnmikes) <a href="https://twitter.com/espnmikes/status/1650492502900654082?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 24, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

I guess they didn't like his salary number after 43 years.

ESPN has gotten much better in a lot of ways but they have another 50% to go.

Wouldn't know. Can't watch their drivel.

Steve Young, Max Kellerman, Suzy Kolber, Jeff Van Gundy, Matt Hasselbeck, Todd McShay, Keyshawn Johnson and Jalen Rose all got laid off by ESPN this morning

Bizarre as hell they would lay off McShay but retain Kiper.

Kiper is better plus does a radio show and they replaced McShay with Matt Miller.

ESPN layoffs most I'm glad but two suck - Suzy Kolber, she was good on sideline and NFL pregame stuff and Ashley Brewer, late night SportsCenter who was smoking hot and good at her job.

I always liked Max Kellerman's takes.

Better at what?

Making them money

Not crazy about it. Last round seemed to be more about these shock jock opinionaters. This round seems more focused on people who know sports. Hate what they turned kellerman into but he was once a terrific boxing. Have a bad feeling it’s a sign that they’re gonna double down on this shitty shouty opinion shit.

Would not have expected Young or Kolber. Namath with Kolber is one of my all time favorite sports moments. Struggg ling

Neil Everett leaving sucks too. He was awesome

Getting rid of Ashley Brewer as well, wonder if they are getting rid of the LA SportsCenter and just doing it all from Bristol.

RIP Suzy

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Suzy Kolber is a pioneer and a legend. She, like others laid off today, always will be remembered and missed. <a href="https://t.co/yVODbL7lDl">https://t.co/yVODbL7lDl</a></p>&mdash; Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) <a href="https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/1674826251041685504?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 30, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

I don't see it. They could replace him with that DTVietnam poster that shit up every draft thread and nobody would notice.

Kiper has no draw power.

ESPN would know through the traffic and video views which of the draft guys get the most hits, I'm sure Kiper's mocks do the trick.

Pat McAffee took Max Kellermans job. His new showing is taking over Max's old time slot apparently

Pat McAfee without the profanity isn’t going to be any better than Kellerman.

Sux about Kolber and Van Gundy.

The rest? See ya.

What a bloodbath

I liked Kellerman and Kolber. The rest were a bunch of deadweight.

So did Disney pretty much have ESPN axe everyone making a bit of money other than Stephen A and SVP? Seems like it.

Yet Steven A. Smith and Mad Dog or whatever his name is remain.

ESPN pays so much for game rights they are going to run skeleton crews with no names.

Or hear me out here. They're really not sure what they're doing.

It's about the bottom line, ESPN is a money loser.