More Cuts at ESPN

politically conservative black people are an interesting subset. Whitlock says a lot of the same things as Steele and often attracts the same level of vitriol from blacks and liberals. I don't agree with many things they say, but they definitely lend a POV that is outside the mainstream. Beadle has had an interesting, fluctuating career. I think she's funny and cool. Steele always seemed a little aloof, like she was slumming it on Countdown.

 

If the politics were reversed, Twitter would melt down. Some interesting dynamics at play. Could get interesting.

 

Steele is pretty good. I've never gotten the sense she's aloof.

 

Steele will always have a place in my heart for her reaction when Simmons pouted about not getting enough time on the NBA Championship broadcast.

 

Amazon just bought streaming rights to NFL Thursday night games and will give them to Prime members free. There are 65 million subscribers to Prime and 87 million at ESPN so the subscriber bases are moving closer together. One huge advantage that Amazon has is that they have a direct relationship with their subscribers. ESPN deals with the cable companies. I think I read somewhere that cable companies pay 30% of revenue to programmers so they are collecting a 70% cut pf your bill. If Amazon, Netflix or Apple buy a major sporting event they will collect 100% of the revenue from the subscriber. So Amazon or Apple has the ability to outbid ESPN but offer a cheaper package to the subscriber because they eliminate the middleman. I believe that Comcast is about to go the way of Blockbuster.

http://www.staradvertiser.com/2017/...on-picks-off-nfl-thursday-night-from-twitter/

 

Thursdays a garbage product though. When a network gets outbid for Sunday or Monday that'll be a big indicator.

Also these games are still on TV yes? CBS? Amazon just snagged the streaming from Twitter?

 

The product may not be as good but it still sells.

 

But no one watches TV any more. Just ask people here.

 

AKA the Roger Goodell "Even though it's the Chargers and the Jaguars, it's football and the whole country wants to watch! And let's put them in color rush uniforms too!" theory.

 

is it just a theory? What is the top rated program on Thursday nights?

I haven't checked but I'm assuming it's football.

 

And the NFL Network exclusive games still aren't part of the streaming deal, so it just duplicates what most people already get free over the air.

 

Sage Steele was a professional who eas dry but competent.

Michelle Beadle is more compelling, but she also has this know it all/corrective vibe that tends to diminish the talent around her.