More Cuts at ESPN

I don't get the new show either. It reminds me of the NFL Network locating out in L.A. because that's where Steve Bornstein lived and he wasn't moving. And this was in a 20 year drought of the city having a team.
And since it is a purely TV deal - doing phoners isn't going to work.
What would have been interesting and different, the on-air talent all being 30 or younger. Or a show coming at things from a different angle. When you are putting together a new show, it's important that the show looks like something that hasn't been done before.
ESPN's new morning show is off to a rough start

 

I'm a little befuddled at the shock people have at discovering that on-air talent on key shows for major networks are paid pretty well.

 

I imagine some of it might be "hazard pay" as well, in a way. All three of them have multiple other gigs, and probably saw how ESPN gave The Six a couple of months and then moved on, with the hit going to the hosts' value. If they're going to be the big time figureheads for a new morning show, they probably wanted extra money upfront to take that risk.

 

Compare these three to Michael Strahan on GMA and they're not overpaid.

 

It’s that the talent wouldn’t be paid like that anywhere else.

And, it wouldn’t. Some of the SportsCenter anchors on ESPN may have presence but average skills; I watched a 3-minute SC break in Masters coverage today, and the anchor was borderline incompetent in a highlight. This person consistently pops their eyes and deadpans for the camera like they’re in a Judd Apatow comedy and then can’t read the damn news.

 

It's a morning show that fills three hours on a major network that still brings in an obscene amount of money. It's a high-profile gig that will print money if it's even remotely successful. It really doesn't matter what YOU think of the talent. In the big picture it's a relatively minor investment in the most important part of the show.

Put it this way -- Mike Glennon made $3 million over four years as a backup quarterback. He made $18.5 million in one year as the presumed starter in Chicago. He's the same shitty quarterback, but if he's going to be the starter, you pay him starting quarterback money.

If these are the people ESPN wants to host their version of Today or GMA, they need to pay them.

 

I think with ESPN, they own the market for SC sports anchors and few there "move the needle" in terms of their presence changing the ratings. I'm guessing ESPN wants GetUp to be a MorningJoe/Today for sports fans. Perhaps they figured they needed established personalities and a commitment to them to let people know this is a "big part" of ESPN.
(Great minds PCL)
I also think it might help with the booking of guests. I don't know if they're going to move beyond sports and book actors and musicians and other notables, but it would help having known commodities and not someone who won "Dream Job."

 

A Mike Glennon analogy is a helluva way to put it when you’re trying to defend ESPN’s talent.

 

Except that I'm not defending the talent. It's not about that. It's about the job. It's a very important job for the network and the pay should be commensurate with that. The three people involved know that, and their agents know that. They're not signing if you lowball them.

(And for what it's worth, the talent is fine. I'm not a big Greenberg fan but the suits clearly like him, and he has the track record to show he can be a draw for the audience. Beadle and Rose are solid choices for the supporting roles.)

 

When people say it isn't about the money, they do mean the money - but also the commitment from the organization to the employee. They have a vested interest in making sure the partnership is successful so nobody looks bad.
I also figure Greenberg figured he would take some hits for breaking up Mike and Mike so they had to make it worth his while. I'm guessing Beadle is just looking forward to get some dedicated air time and Rose has a media business I'm sure will benefit from still being a part of ESPN.

 

Why do you think ESPN is so bad with their money?