F... ESPN.com

[FRPLG]

I agree with the MTV comparison. ESPN has definitely compromised their core competencies to appeal to the lowest common denominator.

ESPN now = glitzy, over produced content

ESPN 5 years ago = best source of information and more quality content of interest. I'd say ESPN's current trajectory has it heading towards joke territory like MTV.

I gues guess much of the news industry is heading the same way though. This isn't confined to ESPN at all.

[SmootSmack]

ESPN, unlike MTV and music, is still about sports. And it's, more often than not, the first place people go to.

[GMScud]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

They'vecut back a lot on the autostarts, particularly on the homepage. But yeah, unfortunately, you'll still get those other autostarts for at least a while because as you say times are tough.

I did notice that. The right hand column of the main page used to have an autostart that annoyed me to the point I would mute my laptop speakers before going to the site. You guys dropped that, which is nice. You gotta do what you gotta do.

I bought ESPN Insider a few years back, and it's probably the main reason I visit the site. Great stuff on Insider, especially this time of year when the combine/draft gets rolling.

[jamf]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

Not sure how ESPN has turned into MTV but anyway...

What's this Internet bull you're talking about

For MTV Comparison, See FRPLGs Post.

The internet bull is ESPN is only making it' ESPN360 product accessible to people who have an ISP that pays ESPN for their product. I'm my opinion this goes against everything the Internet is about. I understand if they want to charge customers for their product but they should not be extorting ISPs.

But its not ESPNs fault. They are owned by Disney and they are doing the same thing with some of their sites.
Hell, Even the NFL does it.

[GMScud]

As long as ESPN has journalists like John Clayton, Buster Olney, Tim Kurkjian (who I've talked to at the gym a few times- super nice guy), Peter Gammons, and Bill Simmons, I'll continue to navigate around ads/autoplays for their content.

Jamf, I agree that the whole ISP/ESPN360 issue is annoying. I had Verizon internet a year ago at this time, and I got to watch a lot of Gator bball on the computer with 360. Now with stupid Comcast I can't.

[hooskins]

It's called adblock plus and NoScript. Gets rid of all that BS.

[FRPLG]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

ESPN, unlike MTV and music, is still about sports. And it's, more often than not, the first place people go to.

I think that's the point. If it is really is about sports then why all the junk? At some point the whiny internet crowd is not going to be just the whiny internet crowd anymore. In my opinion, and a lot of other people it seems, ESPN is headed the wrong direction.

I would argue that ESPN's focus is no longer sports. Their focus is story-telling using sports as the backdrop. They have to keep sports in the fore-front as much as they can but it is clear they consider the entertainment value of the story of the sports most important. They constantly highlight personalities and conflict. It seems very clear that ESPN "makes" stories. Not that they make them up but instead they turn what just 10 years ago would have been an afterthought into major strories. When you become the news maker and not the news teller you are on dangerous ground. Again, it really is the entire industry but ESPN, as far as sports goes is the leader in this regard.

[hooskins]

Originally Posted by FRPLG

I would argue that ESPN's focus is no longer sports. Their focus is story-telling using sports as the backdrop. They have to keep sports in the fore-front as much as they can but it is clear they consider the entertainment value of the story of the sports most important. They constantly highlight personalities and conflict. It seems very clear that ESPN "makes" stories. Not that they make them up but instead they turn what just 10 years ago would have been an afterthought into major strories. When you become the news maker and not the news teller you are on dangerous ground. Again, it really is the entire industry but ESPN, as far as sports goes is the leader in this regard.

I agree with this. It is clearly evident from shows like E:60, etc. ESPN tries to make stories compelling, overhype, etc. The thing is it may hurt their credentials with the hardcore sports fan, but for the casual fan I think it helps ESPN capture them.

IMO this is byproduct of ESPN's growth and domination of the sports world. Once the taste of success is there pursuing the goal of simply providing the best information ends and the goal of targeting different markets arises.

[hooskins]

The changes to MNF and the rise of "Sunday" night football is also another example.

[SmootSmack]

Originally Posted by FRPLG

I think that's the point. If it is really is about sports then why all the junk? At some point the whiny internet crowd is not going to be just the whiny internet crowd anymore. In my opinion, and a lot of other people it seems, ESPN is headed the wrong direction.

I would argue that ESPN's focus is no longer sports. Their focus is story-telling using sports as the backdrop. They have to keep sports in the fore-front as much as they can but it is clear they consider the entertainment value of the story of the sports most important. They constantly highlight personalities and conflict. It seems very clear that ESPN "makes" stories. Not that they make them up but instead they turn what just 10 years ago would have been an afterthought into major strories. When you become the news maker and not the news teller you are on dangerous ground. Again, it really is the entire industry but ESPN, as far as sports goes is the leader in this regard.

The E does stand for Entertainment, but ESPN is still about sports, whether it's sports stories, sports scores, sports news, sports events, it's still about sports first and foremost

[SmootSmack]

As for ESPN360.com, a few things

-No other place can offer the live sports content (legally) that ESPN360.com can, and to do that people expect to get paid (and I'm not talking about ESPN)

-Think of it not as some internet site, but a television network that just happens to be delivered via broadband. So just like you pay Comcast to have Style Network, you pay Verizon (among others) for ESPN360.com

-When you think of all the hidden fees that Comcast, and others charge and add each month the amount their customers would have to pay for 360 is such a non-factor

[GMScud]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

As for ESPN360.com, a few things

-No other place can offer the live sports content (legally) that ESPN360.com can, and to do that people expect to get paid (and I'm not talking about ESPN)

-Think of it not as some internet site, but a television network that just happens to be delivered via broadband. So just like you pay Comcast to have Style Network, you pay Verizon (among others) for ESPN360.com

-When you think of all the hidden fees that Comcast, and others charge and add each month the amount their customers would have to pay for 360 is such a non-factor

It really sucks ass that I can't get ESPN360 no matter what simply because Comcast is my lame ISP.

[SmootSmack]

Originally Posted by GMScud

It really sucks ass that I can't get ESPN360 no matter what simply because Comcast is my lame ISP.

Don't piss me off and I'll tell you how to get it anyway...

Actually, you should have gotten it by now but a deal fell apart at the last minute. You will soon enough though

[GMScud]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

Don't piss me off and I'll tell you how to get it anyway...

Actually, you should have gotten it by now but a deal fell apart at the last minute. You will soon enough though

Awww, don't tease

[firstdown]

Not sure what the big deal is because its a free site and thats the reason they have all these comercials. They have to pay for the site and its contents without charging.