You seem to think that since they've always been "A", then they must strive to always be "A." I'm of the opinion that they've decided that "A," while once profitable and groundbreaking, is no longer the format sought by the demographic they desire to serve and they are shifting to "B."
It's this rigidity and slavish devotion to return to some forgotten glory day that is laughable. It's the death throes of an increasingly irrelevant market segment throwing a tantrum about this new fangled format that I find so funny.
You have a constant and dismaying tendency to see my positions on any topic as black/white and myopic.
I understand the need to evolve. But to do so there must be a) a desire from your customer base and b) a financial impetus to do so.
ESPN's money hemorrhage has nothing to do with missing the target demographic or not being "cool" enough. It has everything to do with misguided programming decisions and the abandonment of the base that built it.
As evidenced by the precipitous drop in subscribers noted above, viewers are abandoning ESPN. You can bet your guilty white ass it's not because the network isn't black enough, hip hop enough or not opinionated enough. It's because they've eschewed and disregarded their primary audience. It's because in a rush to be culturally cool, they've left those of us who watched religiously. It's not just Jemelle (who is the worst fucking excuse for a sportscaster and human being to grace the screen today), but it's the constant parade of never beens in and out of the screen. I don't know 3/4 of the people on their broadcasts, I don't know their backgrounds or if they have any credibility. I've turned on SC and seen three damned women up there yammering about shit that has nothing to do with sports. If I wanted that I'd watch The View.
It's like software. I know what my customers want and I know what they expect. Would I like to force every technological wave on them? Sure. But I don't because I have to weigh their ability to adapt with the value the new tech brings. When I find things that increase their value and improve my bottom line? I do them. When I do it because I think it's what they should want because I think it's cool? Always fails. Always.
ESPN is ignoring the people who made the network an industry titan because they made spectacularly bad decisions on rights fees. They are doubling down on those mistakes by chasing a demographic that's never going to have the financial resources or the brand loyalty to keep them king.
"The demographic they desire to serve..." THAT'S where they are fucking the dingo. Who they desire to serve is a fucked up misinterpretation of who and what they should be.
It's not about "A" staying "A" Any business has to adapt over time. I'm merely saying the "B" they've chosen is really an "F"
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