ESPN set the tone for covering sports for decades.
They had deals with all the major pro and college sports leagues and earned the nickname the “worldwide leader” in sports.
But now there is one disturbing number that is bad news for ESPN.
In 2018, new ESPN President Jimmy Pitaro handed down an edict: no more politics at ESPN.
Beginning a few years earlier when ESPN handed Bruce Jenner the Arthur Ashe award for courage after identifying as a woman, ESPN took a sharp turn Left that culminated with Sportscenter host Jemele Hill calling President Trump a white supremacist.
Pitaro delivered these marching orders in response to declining ratings and subscribers dropping ESPN.
And for a time, ESPN slowed down the number of lost subscribers.
But now that trend is accelerating just as ESPN puts its foot on the gas pedal to inject more woke politics into its broadcasts.
ESPN sub losses continue to accelerate — now down 6% year-over-year $DIS
Sports media needs a new biz model pic.twitter.com/nTLxWeANCq
— Rich Greenfield, LightShed (@RichLightShed) August 5, 2020
It’s not clear how many times the public needs to tell ESPN that it does not want politically charged sports programming.
ESPN executives, personalities, and other left-wing sports media types constantly claim it is impossible to separate sports from politics.
Actually it is very easy and it is how networks covered sports for decades – just as sports and not the latest battlefield in a culture war.
Sports are for everyone.
But ESPN’s programming draws a line that sports are only for woke, left-wing political activists.
Sports with Balls will keep you up-to-date on any new developments in this ongoing story.
