ESPN to be sold in 2023????

[JohnFSilver]

Leadership has always been in NYC. If they could replicate the studios for a reasonable price, they might leave, but they’d lose a lot. They have a lot of advantages there, thanks to CT.

Visible Leadership was mostly in Bristol up until Pintaro I reckon.

No idea about Financial leaders and such. But Skipper was around and lived in area and a lot of executives are in Farmington grin valley.

They run the business out of Bristol. I am sure they have offices in Manhattan because Disney does, but it wasn’t absent leadership. Perhaps they diversified last five years and with pandemic.

All about the splash. And, boy do they love former athletes. They get to buddy buddy with them on TV side.

 

[Kolumbo]

Visible Leadership was mostly in Bristol up until Pintaro I reckon.

No idea about Financial leaders and such. But Skipper was around and lived in area and a lot of executives are in Farmington grin valley.

They run the business out of Bristol. I am sure they have offices in Manhattan because Disney does, but it wasn’t absent leadership. Perhaps they diversified last five years and with pandemic.

All about the splash. And, boy do they love former athletes. They get to buddy buddy with them on TV side.

A few weeks ago I was at a gas station and Mike Ditka pulled in. So strange to see someone of his stature pull into a quiet station out here. I told my son who he was and I was so tempted to ask for a photo but I thought that would be too intrusive, although I bet he would have been great about it.

 

[JohnFSilver]

A few weeks ago I was at a gas station and Mike Ditka pulled in. So strange to see someone of his stature pull into a quiet station out here. I told my son who he was and I was so tempted to ask for a photo but I thought that would be too intrusive, although I bet he would have been great about it.

Lol. They all stay at the doubletree or a lot of the talents get rentals in Hartford/west Hartford. Nice black car takes them to and fro .

 

[CONN78SEJ]

Looks like Disney wants to jettison ABC and ESPN. The cord cutting and the cord nevers are finally catching up to ESPN. I am curious as to why FOX, CBS, and NBC weren’t more aggressive with going after additional Pac 12 teams (Oregon, WA, Stamford, Cal)? The four corner teams could’ve gone to the Big12. This could have to put a real dent in ESPN’s inventory availability.

Disney will dump 'cash cow' ESPN and ABC in late 2023, Wells Fargo predicts

Wells Fargo bank analysts are predicting the return of Walt Disney CEO Bob Iger will lead to a spinoff of ESPN and ABC.

www.foxbusiness.com

It’s the other way around, ESPN and ABC want out.

 

[LoyalFanCT]

If there is a change in ownership, maybe Connecticut can renegotiate its tax breaks with ESPN. The new agreement: ESPN uses its pull so UConn gets into B10 or ACC. By the way, is it going to be a Wall Street fund, another company or a self-run entity that will own ESPN?

 

[LBird33]

Welch was lauded as a great manager. He essentially financialized the company and destroyed the talent base by his stupid rating system.

Much later history showed Welch as average once the bloom fell off the rose

 

[JohnFSilver]

If there is a change in ownership, maybe Connecticut can renegotiate its tax breaks with ESPN. The new agreement: ESPN uses its pull so UConn gets into B10 or ACC. By the way, is it going to be a Wall Street fund, another company or a self-run entity that will own ESPN?

It’s big enough to spin off as a pure play media. That way, they can also get into gambling, esports league ownership etc.

 

[gioff2323]

Disney just announced it will carve out espn as its own segment for financial reporting. That’s the obvious next step before a sale/spin off.

 

[huskymedic]

Disney just announced it will carve out espn as its own segment for financial reporting. That’s the obvious next step before a sale/spin off.

Never say never…

Disney Does Not Plan to Spin Off ESPN, Bob Iger Says

"We're not engaged in any conversations right now or considering a spin off of ESPN," the CEO told investors.

www.hollywoodreporter.com

 

[Slasher]

Disney just announced it will carve out espn as its own segment for financial reporting. That’s the obvious next step before a sale/spin off.

There's a lot of really good reasons to do this outside of trying to sell the property. Usually when you keep things together you're trying to hide losses so you don't have to explain them.

 

[CL82]

There's a lot of really good reasons to do this outside of trying to sell the property. Usually when you keep things together you're trying to hide losses so you don't have to explain them.

I suspect that the Disney/Hulu/ESPN bundle justifies keeping ESPN in the Disney family. I could still see it being sold if the price was right. Disney is all about cross promotion and squeezing more dollars out of existing intellectual property. ESPN doesn’t fit that strategy as well as having Disney, ABC, and Hulu, all under a single roof.

 

[SoFla Steve]

Just this morning on CNBC, there was continued speculation that ESPN might be spun off as a separate company, not the same as a selloff, but possibly a preliminary move. It was also said that the Disney streaming platforms are in the red and that monthly subscription fees might have to increase.

Last July, a Disney spokesman told the press that the company had no intention of selling ESPN. CNBC and Bloomberg reported that the statement was made because corporate management feared that the bad press surrounding ESPN was reducing the value of the asset.

JMHO, I think they're on the chopping block.

 

[Slasher]

Just this morning on CNBC, there was continued speculation that ESPN might be spun off as a separate company, not the same as a selloff, but possibly a preliminary move. It was also said that the Disney streaming platforms are in the red and that monthly subscription fees might have to increase.

Last July, a Disney spokesman told the press that the company had no intention of selling ESPN. CNBC and Bloomberg reported that the statement was made because corporate management feared that the bad press surrounding ESPN was reducing the value of the asset.

JMHO, I think they're on the chopping block.

CNBC is just speculating. They've been speculating forever. Doesn't mean it's going to happen.

 

[SoFla Steve]

CNBC is just speculating. They've been speculating forever. Doesn't mean it's going to happen.

You're right.
But where there's smoke . . .

 

[huskymedic]

CNBC is just speculating. They've been speculating forever. Doesn't mean it's going to happen.

You're right.
But where there's smoke . . .

As we know all too well on here that “plans change” but…

 

[huskymedic]

 

[HuskyHawk]

This is the right answer and will happen at ABC too. Does anybody watch Sportscenter? There's no Chris Berman anymore. ESPN became overly political, and the sports fan audience is less political than the average person. They can fix ESPN. But my guess is that ESPN and the entire future of live sports is going to involve lower committed dollars for rights.

It's a solution for the conferences too in some ways. $X for every school + X% share based on the ratings of the games your team participates in or some similar measure (linear vs streaming has to be worked out to be fair). Reduces the risk to the network, reduces the unfair distribution that exists in conferences now.

 

[CTFAN4LIFE]

This is the right answer and will happen at ABC too. Does anybody watch Sportscenter? There's no Chris Berman anymore. ESPN became overly political, and the sports fan audience is less political than the average person. They can fix ESPN. But my guess is that ESPN and the entire future of live sports is going to involve lower committed dollars for rights.

It's a solution for the conferences too in some ways. $X for every school + X% share based on the ratings of the games your team participates in or some similar measure (linear vs streaming has to be worked out to be fair). Reduces the risk to the network, reduces the unfair distribution that exists in conferences now.

That kind of thinking will help schools with unrealized value such as UConn (due to poor football for a decade as well as undervalued basketball programs), UCF (huge enrollment and alumni base that is still untapped), etc. Sign me up if I'm UConn - gotta break the paradigms that shackled us since the OBE days.

 

[storrsroars]

It's a solution for the conferences too in some ways. $X for every school + X% share based on the ratings of the games your team participates in or some similar measure (linear vs streaming has to be worked out to be fair). Reduces the risk to the network, reduces the unfair distribution that exists in conferences now.

It also makes it pretty damned hard for ADs/schools to budget. You'd need a reasonable floor.

 

[CL82]

It also makes it pretty damned hard for ADs/schools to budget. You'd need a reasonable floor.

In the first year of the deal, you make the “variable portion” pro rata, but adjust it due to the prior seasons, ratings, or whatever other criteria you are using. You’d have a seasons lag between results and profits, but at least you’d be some kind of logic to it.

Agree with you that the variable portion would have to be a fairly low percentage otherwise budging would be impossible.

 

[HuskyHawk]

It also makes it pretty damned hard for ADs/schools to budget. You'd need a reasonable floor.

Sure. But they may just need to live with less guaranteed revenue. Sales people do it. Perhaps you could all get X and then a choice between Y + Z% or some lesser guarantee and higher %. You can get on yourself, but also adjust year to year.

I‘m trying to be creative. Because the problem of Mississippi State, Vandy and other less valuable properties is going to come to a head.