ESPN - Make your voices heard!

[UConnChapette]

I just sent in a complaint about the lack of "whip-around" coverage. If you are unhappy with their coverage, you should do the same.

I have been on the Baylor game the entire first half. Why? Because ESPN believes the rest of the country is as in love with Brittany Griner as they are. I get it, already. I understand the in studio promotion. Lord knows, they have done it enough with UConn players in the past. But the games should be an entirely different matter.

On the coverage maps they list "whip around" coverage, where the most competitive games will be shown outside the home territories. I call shenanigans! I'd call it something else, but I don't think it would be allowed.

Unless it is the "home" school, or a 1 vs 16 matchup that is very close and an upset potential, why broadcast the 1 vs 16 blowout for two teams completely outside the state area when 1) another instate school is playing or 2) there are other much more competitive games in progress?

 

[UConnChapette]

On second thought, don't waste your time. My email complaint received the following reply:

"Thank you for contacting ESPN.

It is our goal to serve our fans by offering the game with the most compelling action.

Read more about ESPNs coverage of the 2012 NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Championship at .....

Sincerely,

ESPN Viewer Response"

Yes, folks. A form email.

Clearly, ESPN cares NOTHING for the opinions of its viewers/customers. They are just spewing the company line. Pathetic excuse for the self-proclaimed "world-wide leader in sports".

Next stop....Disney and the Hearst Corporation. Might as well go to the top since the company itself doesn't seem to care or listen.

 

[EricLA]

you are right that it's a waste of time. i suppose they feel we should be lucky they cover WCBB at all. in the past, if you were a subscriber to the ESPN slate of men's games throughout the year, you could see all the WCBB NCAA games on the 8 or so channels that you'd already paid for. i'm not sure if they still do that since I don't subscribe to the game plan any more...

 

[Vowelguy]

Unfortunately the mindset about covering tournament games has changed, and this applies to the men's tournament as well. I can recall about 5-10 years ago, when CBS was still doing all the men's games, one of their head honchos commented that viewers liked to stick with the same game and didn't want lots of switching back and forth. I don't know where he got this from (I certainly disagree), but I assume he didn't completely make it up.

This thought process definitely pervaded CBS men's coverage in the 2000s, and it seems that ESPN has adopted the same philosophy for the women's.

 

[mr006]

If I'm really miffed at a company, I skip the website entirely. More often than not, they are useless. I have had much better luck finding the name of the person in charge (VP level or higher) and sending them a good old-fashioned letter. I usually get a response (and sometimes even action), and I at least feel better about the experience knowing that someone actually READ what I wrote and had to think about it for a minute or two. I wish you luck and heartily encourage others to do so if they are similarly annoyed. However, I am not hopeful in this case, as The Mouse seems to do what they please.

 

[HuskyNan]

So many people have big screen TVs now. Can't they do a split screen of some kind?