5/6/2023 0 Comments 7 years from now timeESPN would still be offered on cable and satellite, but its full programming would be available to cord cutters. There is no exact date set, according to sources, but it will happen in the next few years, if not sooner. Iger recently said that it is “inevitable” that the entirety of ESPN will go direct-to-consumer. It charges $9.99 per month but can be bundled with Hulu and Disney+ for a cheaper price. ESPN+, a relatively new direct-to-consumer add-on service, has 24.9 million subscribers. Icon Sportswire via Getty ImagesĮSPN is currently in around 74 million homes, with each household paying in the $10 per month range, which means it still rakes in three-quarters of a billion dollars per month before it sells one advertisement. ESPN’s belt-tightening is being felt in negotiations with Chris Fowler. Previously, ESPN’s numbers were rolled into Disney’s and not broken out, but under the new structure Iger recently unveiled, ESPN will show its data to the public. Smith, late-night “SportsCenter” anchor Scott Van Pelt and the “Monday Night Football” booth are considered the type of “talent” that is untouchable.ĭespite cord cutting in which subscribers are dropping cable, ESPN is still a money cow for Disney, which it is expected to demonstrate when it releases its separate earnings report in November. The most vulnerable on-air folks, according to sources, are the ones that make near or more than seven figures and are not considered needle movers. Getty ImagesĮSPN wants to retain Fowler, maybe even with a slight raise, as he is its lead college football and Grand Slam tennis voice, but he is not going to receive a large increase to put him anywhere near Buck money. ESPN is pursuing Pat McAfee despite a major round of layoffs coming. Fowler, who reportedly makes around $3 million per year, and ESPN have been far apart in negotiations, according to sources. Meanwhile, the ESPN belt-tightening is already being felt in negotiations with college football national championship game-caller Chris Fowler. ESPN is a possibility for McAfee, but probably not the favorite right now. But any McAfee-ESPN deal would have to make financial sense for the network. Last week, The Post reported McAfee is exploring moving to a network that could have him step away from FanDuel in the midst of a four-year, $120 million contract. Smith ($12 million per year), and they are still in add mode as they are in on the Pat McAfee sweepstakes, according to sources. In recent years, ESPN has spent heavily on top commentators, like Troy Aikman ($18 million per year), Joe Buck ($15 million per year) and Stephen A. At this time, there is no target number for how many millions that ESPN must save or how many employees will be let go, according to sources. Last month, Iger said that 7,000 jobs would be eliminated across the board.Īt the direction of ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro, heads of departments have been told to scrutinize their divisions to make them as efficient as possible. The moves are a part of layoffs that Disney’s CEO Bob Iger announced were coming across all of the company’s units. Justin Shackil to be offered WFAN job with huge Yankees implicationsĮSPN’s latest round of layoffs will have “no sacred cows,” meaning everybody from top on-air people to big-time executives are being scrutinized with the cuts expected to be finalized in the next four to six weeks, The Post has learned. Yankees won't have jersey patch for Opening Day - but it's comingĬharles Barkley only considering CNN show out of 'respect' for Gayle King Craig Carton could be leaving WFAN in multimillion-dollar decisionĪll the ways baseball broadcasts will be different in 2023 MLB season
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |