TV titan ESPN cuts nearly 300 positions

[unhappycamper]

http://www.bostonherald.com/business/business_markets/2015/10/tv_titan_espn_cuts_nearly_300_positions



TV titan ESPN cuts nearly 300 positions
Donna Goodison Thursday, October 22, 2015

Cable sports broadcaster ESPN yesterday confirmed just under 300 layoffs — 3.75 percent of its 8,000-strong workforce.

The company cited a repositioning of resources in the wake of technology advances and a changing media environment requiring different employee skill sets and a different organizational structure.

The job cuts at the Bristol, Conn.-based sports network, 80 percent owned by the Walt Disney Co., come as more cable subscribers are cutting the pay TV cord and amid continued growth of “skinny” pay-TV bundles that don’t include ESPN.

“The demand for sports remains undiminished, though the landscape we operate in has never been more complex,” John Skipper, who leads Disney’s sports network, said in a message yesterday to ESPN employees. “These changes are part of a broad strategy to ensure we’re in position to make the most of new opportunities to build the future of ESPN.”

[corkhead]

1. They, along with the sports industry in general, needs to change their business model

I am speaking as one who cut the cord years ago.

The sports industry can no longer be supported by the vast number of people who pay for it in their cable bill but don't have the least bit of interest in watching it.

I would bet a very large percentage of tv subscribers have no idea how much of their monthly bill goes to the sports industrial complex.

[Travis_0004]

2. I would assume sports people pay for a lot of channels they dont watch.

I think it all balances out.

I watch HGTV, history, ESPN, TNT, AMC, yet I pay for 40 channels I dont watch.

I would gladly drop MTV, CSPAN, BET, VH1, Cartoon network, disney, etc. The end result would probably be less channels for everybody, and probably still pay the same price.

[Omaha Steve]

3. Most popular channels require cable companies to carry several dud channels

It is a racket.