The Worldwide Leader in Sports is in a transition phase right now. Americans are cutting their cords and turning their attention toward mobile content. Furthermore, longtime President John Skipper recently resigned suddenly amid a cocaine extortion scandal. New President Jimmy Pitaro is receiving ideas for how to run the network from seemingly everyone (including me).
In the midst of this transition, Variety published a new cover story on ESPN's fight to regain ground in the sports populace. The feature details ESPN's current plight and its plans for dealing with lower viewership going forward.
One of its biggest new initiatives is the release of ESPN+, an app that will launch in April and charge fans a monthly fee for more content. The Worldwide Leader says ESPN+, which will cost $4.99 a month, will appeal to fans who want more live sports. The network is expected to drop 14 million subscribers between 2010 and the end of 2018.
ESPN is well aware of its current plight.
"We have to challenge ourselves on how we maintain relevance and connection at every point along the way, so that the ESPN brand continues to mean something special," said Justin Connolly, executive vice president of affiliate sales and marketing for Disney/ESPN Media Networks, according to Variety.
Numbers for several of its mainstay programs, including Monday Night Football, are down. The network hopes to rebound with ESPN+ and a few other new measures, including the launch of Get Up featuring Jalen Rose, Michelle Beadle, and Mike Greenberg. The show will integrate but carefully approach non-sports related topics.
"We need to remember we have to hew to sports," said Bill Wolff, executive producer of the show, according to Variety. "We can't indulge all of our craziest ideas."
If you're interested in the future of media or sports consumption, the entire profile is a must-read. Check it out here.
