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  1. #1
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    Jan 2010
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    Sports Media Landscape

    Not sure if there's another thread for this --- Spotify has announced it will purchase The Ringer, Bill Simmons' post-ESPN/post-Grantland endeavor. It's also the home to JJ's podcast, which was my point of entry with Ringer content. Spotify sees sports radio - and all radio - moving online, which is no surprise. For Succession watchers, the conversation about the Ringer's staff unionizing in August as discussions of a purchase surfaced was interesting.

    I know Simmons isn't much of a Duke guy, and doesn't have many friends on this board, but he's definitely innovated in the sports content delivery world. I think we'll see JJ more active in this space as soon as his playing days are over.

  2. #2
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    Mar 2016
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    Quote Originally Posted by bundabergdevil View Post
    Not sure if there's another thread for this --- Spotify has announced it will purchase The Ringer, Bill Simmons' post-ESPN/post-Grantland endeavor. It's also the home to JJ's podcast, which was my point of entry with Ringer content. Spotify sees sports radio - and all radio - moving online, which is no surprise. For Succession watchers, the conversation about the Ringer's staff unionizing in August as discussions of a purchase surfaced was interesting.

    I know Simmons isn't much of a Duke guy, and doesn't have many friends on this board, but he's definitely innovated in the sports content delivery world. I think we'll see JJ more active in this space as soon as his playing days are over.
    I was very intrigued by this deal today and Penn National Gaming buying a stake in Barstool Sports last week.

    The Ringer/Spotify deal was great for all Spotify in regards to all the podcast content they will get with the Ringer. But what will this mean for other podcast producers of sports content? Barstool put all of it's podcast content on Spotify, same with ESPN. Are they going to phase them out or are the just going to push Ringer content harder?

    Should be interesting to see what happens moving forward, especially with Barstool as it looks they are going to focus more on sports gambling with the other content as basically a cherry on top. As for ESPN, they need to figure out how to capture a younger audience. 4Q of 2019 saw them lose the largest numbers of viewers at 4.5% and their podcast content for the most part I find kind of dry.

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by BeachBlueDevil View Post
    I was very intrigued by this deal today and Penn National Gaming buying a stake in Barstool Sports last week.

    The Ringer/Spotify deal was great for all Spotify in regards to all the podcast content they will get with the Ringer. But what will this mean for other podcast producers of sports content? Barstool put all of it's podcast content on Spotify, same with ESPN. Are they going to phase them out or are the just going to push Ringer content harder?

    Should be interesting to see what happens moving forward, especially with Barstool as it looks they are going to focus more on sports gambling with the other content as basically a cherry on top. As for ESPN, they need to figure out how to capture a younger audience. 4Q of 2019 saw them lose the largest numbers of viewers at 4.5% and their podcast content for the most part I find kind of dry.
    I'm sure the bigger companies taking stakes will try to further monetize podcasts. They're a pretty cost-efficient way to make money, low production costs, etc. I hope there's not a trend toward taking some of the best personality-driven podcasts behind some premium/pay wall. That'd be a mistake and I think they'd find a pretty steep drop off of customers. Their low production value also makes it an extremely democratic system so anyone can get up and running pretty quick with a hot, funny take.

    It's tough to see where ESPN will head. There's definitely still a demand for their flagship SC and sports-broadcasting but obviously the cable TV model is sinking. Papa Disney has deep pockets though so I'm sure they'll get it figured out.

  4. #4
    Quote Originally Posted by bundabergdevil View Post
    I'm sure the bigger companies taking stakes will try to further monetize podcasts. They're a pretty cost-efficient way to make money, low production costs, etc. I hope there's not a trend toward taking some of the best personality-driven podcasts behind some premium/pay wall. That'd be a mistake and I think they'd find a pretty steep drop off of customers. Their low production value also makes it an extremely democratic system so anyone can get up and running pretty quick with a hot, funny take.

    It's tough to see where ESPN will head. There's definitely still a demand for their flagship SC and sports-broadcasting but obviously the cable TV model is sinking. Papa Disney has deep pockets though so I'm sure they'll get it figured out.
    Disney screwed the pooch by pushing out Simmons and Grantland. I enjoy Simmons despite his acute anti-Duke bias. His tone and the way his material transparently intersects sports and entertainment was innovative at the time. Disney and The Mothership had an opportunity to be on the cusp of sports media, but declined.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15 View Post
    Disney screwed the pooch by pushing out Simmons and Grantland. I enjoy Simmons despite his acute anti-Duke bias. His tone and the way his material transparently intersects sports and entertainment was innovative at the time. Disney and The Mothership had an opportunity to be on the cusp of sports media, but declined.
    I agree. He also doesn't yell or treat sports talk like a competition itself. Too many of the "hot take" personalities like to yell in absolutes. Nobody has time for that.

  6. #6
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    Dec 2009
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    North of Durham
    Quote Originally Posted by Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15 View Post
    Disney screwed the pooch by pushing out Simmons and Grantland. I enjoy Simmons despite his acute anti-Duke bias. His tone and the way his material transparently intersects sports and entertainment was innovative at the time. Disney and The Mothership had an opportunity to be on the cusp of sports media, but declined.
    I have followed Simmons fairly closely since his arrival at ESPN in the very early 2000s. He was an incredible innovator and there are countless people roughly his age across America saying "I could have done that!" (including myself). As with many people, he was better on his ascendance than he is now - I think he has read his press clippings a bit too much. That being said, as one who does not really listen to podcasts much, I miss his writing and wish he would do so least occasionally as I enjoyed his take on things. Plus much as some people have a face made for radio, I think he has a voice made for writing - I don't really enjoy hearing his voice.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by bundabergdevil View Post
    I'm sure the bigger companies taking stakes will try to further monetize podcasts. They're a pretty cost-efficient way to make money, low production costs, etc. I hope there's not a trend toward taking some of the best personality-driven podcasts behind some premium/pay wall. That'd be a mistake and I think they'd find a pretty steep drop off of customers. Their low production value also makes it an extremely democratic system so anyone can get up and running pretty quick with a hot, funny take.

    It's tough to see where ESPN will head. There's definitely still a demand for their flagship SC and sports-broadcasting but obviously the cable TV model is sinking. Papa Disney has deep pockets though so I'm sure they'll get it figured out.
    Looking at The Ringer & Barstool, the style in which they capture a younger audience is through blogs and podcasts (both sports and entertainment). ESPN's presentation is very different (even the Undefeated feels "newsy"). As for their TV, it's basically all the same (debate shows all day and some debating on sports center) and I don't know if this works with the younger audience they are losing at a fast clip. I also think ESPN is investing in the wrong personalities. They pay Stephen A Smith a boatload of cash a year, he is polarizing but does he make people want to tune in? I don't think he does.

    I'd like to see them invest in someone like Pat McAfee. He has a star quality about him and a quality that appeals to a younger audience (much like Barstool Van Talk that they cut after 2 episodes. I don't remember why they cut it so fast). As more and more states legalize sports gambling, that is another direction they have to invest in. Partnering with FanDuel and their (mobile) sportsbook seems like a great move on the surface, but would Disney want to get in bed with that? I agree they have time to figure it out and that is a huge advantage.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by BeachBlueDevil View Post
    Looking at The Ringer & Barstool, the style in which they capture a younger audience is through blogs and podcasts (both sports and entertainment). ESPN's presentation is very different (even the Undefeated feels "newsy"). As for their TV, it's basically all the same (debate shows all day and some debating on sports center) and I don't know if this works with the younger audience they are losing at a fast clip. I also think ESPN is investing in the wrong personalities. They pay Stephen A Smith a boatload of cash a year, he is polarizing but does he make people want to tune in? I don't think he does.

    I'd like to see them invest in someone like Pat McAfee. He has a star quality about him and a quality that appeals to a younger audience (much like Barstool Van Talk that they cut after 2 episodes. I don't remember why they cut it so fast). As more and more states legalize sports gambling, that is another direction they have to invest in. Partnering with FanDuel and their (mobile) sportsbook seems like a great move on the surface, but would Disney want to get in bed with that? I agree they have time to figure it out and that is a huge advantage.
    Simmons has a new podcast up with an interview with Robert Iger. They spend some time talking about the future of ESPN, ESPIN+, etc.

  9. #9
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    Mar 2007
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    Mount Kisco, NY
    As a big Simmons fan, I have actually grown to prefer his podcasts over his writing. I think he was smart to understand that he was burned out on writing and that he has a real talent as an interviewer. And, the podcast format allows him to indulge his disdain for word counts and provides a platform for rapid reactions to events...if something big and meaningful happens (e.g. Kobe's death), he can have a reaction pod up within hours. But, I also think he has a real talent as a manager. I don't expect all of his employees, especially the writers, to have a close personal bond with him, but he seems to engender loyalty among his inner circle (Fennesey, Rubin, Ryan, Littman on the content side) and he has a knack for giving talented voices a platform, and, I assume, decent steady pay (although the Ringer Union clearly started for a reason). As a Spotify subscriber, I hope they do a bunch of subscription-based stuff, I was sad to not have access to "The Rewatchables 1999" series that they did for someone behind a paywall. I look forward to listening to the Iger interview.

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