An ESPN banner was displayed at a college football game in Lynchburg, Va., last October. ESPN has taken steps in recent years to demonstrate what a world without the network would look like. They have made remote broadcasts a permanent fixture, reduced their talent pool, and now they are launching their own licensed gambling venture with Penn Entertainment. This move comes after Penn’s unsuccessful investment in Barstool Sports, which led them to sell the brand back to founder Dave Portnoy for a dollar and pay $1.5 billion to Disney for the rights to rebrand it as ESPN content. While this deal may benefit Portnoy financially, it raises concerns about ESPN’s future.
ESPN has seen a significant decline in cable households and is desperate to find solutions to its problems. However, their attempts to address this issue may not be fruitful. With Disney acknowledging the impact of cord-cutting and considering various strategic options, it’s no surprise that ESPN is seeking partnerships to stay afloat. Their suitors include leagues like the NFL and the legalized gambling industry. While ESPN’s partnership with Penn may help them gain a larger share of the sports gambling market, there is no guarantee of success. Additionally, this deal is likely to result in more native advertising and less quality content for consumers.
As a consumer, the degradation of ESPN is evident. The network now offers subpar camerawork, broadcast crews working remotely, and questionable content. It’s worth questioning whether ESPN is still a sports company or if it has become a directionless conglomerate focused solely on generating revenue. Its association with Penn could lead to its downfall or turn it into an expensive niche product catering to gambling addicts. In either case, it marks the end of ESPN as a vital sports entity. The lack of quality control is apparent, and soon people may no longer be willing to pay for the network.