Their latest NET Worth is said to be a little over 40 Billion dollars which is 10 times more than their claimed deductions, interest paid, and business losses which totaled 3.9 Billion.

Disney is worth 84 Billion and owns 80% of ESPN. Hearst owns the other 20%.


So I'd say the message board hooey that ESPN is too strapped to be able to purchase additional rights is just obvious troll noise. ESPN certainly has enough to parse the Big 12 between the SEC and ACC if they wanted to do so.

Money is flexibility.

It also could be enough money to save the Big 12. Especially if ESPN could convince the Big 12 to expand with key programs. Like a Colorado State.

(03-11-2018 09:15 AM)hawghiggs Wrote:  It also could be enough money to save the Big 12. Especially if ESPN could convince the Big 12 to expand with key programs. Like a Colorado State.

It's ESPN that would keep the Big 12 from expanding with programs like that. The Big 12 refused to expand last time because the networks wouldn't pay for it.

I suppose it's entirely possible that ESPN could get a boost in profits from their new ventures. If the RSNs come on line and ESPN Plus is a success then those are new revenue streams.

The question, of course, is where all the content is going to come from?

These RSNs will be anchored with local pro teams so there's not a great need to add significantly to that although I'm sure there are ways to maximize the investment. I'm sure there are tons of college games that could be shown locally that wouldn't necessarily be best as national broadcasts.

I thought they just existed to torture small programs.

(03-11-2018 11:30 AM)HeartOfDixie Wrote:  I thought they just existed to torture small programs.

Yes it will be their fault when demographic shifts shrink higher education by creating a downsizing in higher education which Harvard University says will likely close 50% of the existing colleges and universities. No doubt ESPN created and will end the Baby Boom.

Anyway you cut it reality needs a culprit and ESPN is it.

(03-11-2018 11:30 AM)HeartOfDixie Wrote:  I thought they just existed to torture small programs.

Whenever they're not busy with running a charity operation for most of the P5, yes, they conspire to destroy small schools in their spare time.

(03-10-2018 03:59 PM)JRsec Wrote:  Their latest NET Worth is said to be a little over 40 Billion dollars which is 10 times more than their claimed deductions, interest paid, and business losses which totaled 3.9 Billion.

Disney is worth 84 Billion and owns 80% of ESPN. Hearst owns the other 20%.


So I'd say the message board hooey that ESPN is too strapped to be able to purchase additional rights is just obvious troll noise. ESPN certainly has enough to parse the Big 12 between the SEC and ACC if they wanted to do so.

The main board is talking about projections when they refer to ESPN's demise. Obviously there is some schadenfreude included as well, but the two primary indicators used are the acceleration of cord cutting and the anticipation of tech giants into the field.

I will say that ESPN in my opinion is what changed me from strictly a SEC football fan to a CFB, caring about games in the B1G, BE and B12 when I previously didn't. I think the a la crate model that so many dreamed of isn't as rosy as every network is trying to set up their own streaming service. Whenever ESPN can no longer afford to broadcast at the depth and breath that they currently do, my interest will contract back to the South. I don't think I'll be alone in that regionalism.

As for the Netflix and Amazons of the world, I think their reaction to the end of Net Neutrality was most telling. These corporations can easily buy the likes of Comcast, AT&T and Time Warner and provide the internet as currently modeled. The fact that they haven't means they realize what few in the media do; that the actually hardware outlays needed for networking is an expensive enterprise.

They'll continue to expand wirelessly, but the buying of ROW's to string fiber across the country is a game they want no part of outside of major metropolitan areas. I say all this because the reliability/bandwith just won't be there for live games. If they enter the market, they will buy the rights and co-broadcast them IMO. Because based upon the demographic trends, Gen X is looking like the last group that will be die hard CFB fans.