ESPN’s subscription woes — the sports network hemorrhaged 2 million domestically in fiscal year 2018 — were on stark display this week with the release of Disney’s annual report.
ESPN President Jimmy Pitaro was praised in September by Disney CEO Bob Iger for bringing “balance” to a network beleaguered by partisan politics in its coverage, but that hasn’t stopped subscribers from leaving in droves.
Disney’s report, which is based on Nielsen Media Research estimates, puts the network’s subscriber base at 86 million, Variety reported Wednesday.
Disney’s advocates place the blame primarily on “cord-cutting” as Americans opt out of cable TV, although the network also alienated viewers with forays into partisan politics.
“There’s been a big debate about whether ESPN should be focused more on what happens on the field of sport than what happens in terms of where sports is societally or politically,” Mr. Iger told The Hollywood Reporter in September. “And Jimmy felt that the pendulum may have swung a little bit too far away from the field. And I happen to believe he was right. … He has brought back some balance.”
Mr. Iger’s comments came in the wake of a “First Take” broadcast in which co-host Max Kellerman ripped golf icon Tiger Woods for telling a reporter on Aug. 26 that all Americans should “respect the office,” no matter who occupies the White House.
“I want to say something about what Tiger Woods said,” Mr. Kellerman told his “First Take” audience. “I’m angry at what Tiger Woods said. It either holds in contempt the intelligence of people who hear it or else it’s just a stupid thing to say. … To say you must have respect for the office — Tiger, be clear. Are you saying that the office, therefore, confers respect onto its present temporary occupant? No. Having respect for the office means principally, in my view, is the officeholder should have respect for the office.”
ESPN also courted controversy in 2017 when then-employee Jemele Hill claimed Mr. Trump is “white supremacist.” She was disciplined by the network after backlash ensued.
• Douglas Ernst can be reached at dernst@washingtontimes.com.
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