Sports
Related: About this forumAuggie
(31,061 posts)ESPN is a major player in Sports programming, fully supported by the $72 billion in assets of the Walt Disney Company. If you're a die-hard sports fan and can afford cable, you have ESPN.
joeybee12
(56,177 posts)This is why there are anti-trust laws...to keep certain companies from driving away competition.
Auggie
(31,061 posts)Another outlet for Bob Costas' ego.
Anyhow, there's your competition.
NEW YORK (from 2011) - Comcast-controlled NBCUniversal on Monday said it will rename sports cable network Versus as NBC Sports Network in January.
SNIP
"The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that NBC's on-air style and sports presentation, which emphasizes storytelling and profiles of athletes, will also come to the network as part of the rebranding." http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/be-rebranded-as-nbc-sports-217640)
Storytelling and profiles =
Yavin4
(35,357 posts)When the NCAA was negotiating the new contract for March Madness, they really wanted TBS and CBS to work out a sharing agreement, even though ESPN/ABC would have been the more natural choice. The sport leagues and the NCAA are wary of giving everything to ESPN. They want, and need, the other networks to keep investing sports programming in order to keep the rights fees growing.