Disney CEO Bob Iger on how big will sports be for ABC in the coming years?

[TMC1982]

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/anne-sweeney-top-disney-exec-687567

How big will sports be for ABC in the coming years?


Iger: Not very. The sports brand for us is ESPN. That was the decision I made years back, maybe to some extent at the expense of ABC from a male demo perspective. But ABC did just fine. In the years I had Lost, Desperate Housewives, Grey's Anatomy, for instance, we were perfectly happy with essentially programming a nonsports network. ESPN does program football [on ABC] Saturdays in the fall, and I watched a great basketball game on ABC today that was produced by ESPN. The Lakers beat Oklahoma City.

 

[Ramy]

Maybe they won't keep over paying for sports on ESPN too. Not likely.

 

[dangue]

Maybe they won't keep over paying for sports on ESPN too. Not likely.

I read the opposite, that they won't broadcast sports free via OTA.

 

[satjay]

I read the opposite, that they won't broadcast sports free via OTA.

Thought the same, if you want to watch a game, won't be free

 

[cosmo_kramer]

It was a smart business decision to make ESPN relevant and necessary for providers to carry by grabbing up all the major sports contracts they could, even if it meant overpaying for them.

 

[Ramy]

I read the opposite, that they won't broadcast sports free via OTA.

I can see that too.

 

[Mets82]

Its a shame that the ABC Sports brand is down the drain. Remember, ABC Sports was before ESPN and it seems like Iger forgets that. I still don't understand why ESPN and ABC Sports can't be 2 separate brands.

 

[CK SatGuy]

Its a shame that the ABC Sports brand is down the drain. Remember, ABC Sports was before ESPN and it seems like Iger forgets that. I still don't understand why ESPN and ABC Sports can't be 2 separate brands.

Because they're both own by the same company that rather sticks it to the consumer and make them pay for ESPN.

 

[Ramy]

Its a shame that the ABC Sports brand is down the drain. Remember, ABC Sports was before ESPN and it seems like Iger forgets that. I still don't understand why ESPN and ABC Sports can't be 2 separate brands.

I remember when I was a kid watching the "Wild World of Sports".

 

[cosmo_kramer]

I remember when I was a kid watching the "Wild World of Sports".

While some events were pretty crazy, it was actually called 'Wide World of Sports'....

 

[Ramy]

While some events were pretty crazy, it was actually called 'Wide World of Sports'....

 

[The Insider]

Its a shame that the ABC Sports brand is down the drain. Remember, ABC Sports was before ESPN and it seems like Iger forgets that. I still don't understand why ESPN and ABC Sports can't be 2 separate brands.

Because it makes no sense to pay for 2 brands when one is just fine. Why have 2 sports departments, 2 studios, market 2 brands, pay for 2 staff.

 

[Don in CT]

Because it makes no sense to pay for 2 brands when one is just fine. Why have 2 sports departments, 2 studios, market 2 brands, pay for 2 staff.

ESPN has studios in LA as well as Bristol.

 

[Ramy]

ESPN has studios in LA as well as Bristol.

I think they are either closing the LA office or remodeling because they are not broadcasting there right now.

Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk

 

[The Insider]

ESPN has studios in LA as well as Bristol.

So then they would need 4 stupios. 2 for abc 2 for espn. Either way it just makes financial sense to have one brand.

 

[Mets82]

The traditionalist in me likes ESPN and ABC as seperate brands. I mean ABC Sports were around for years even before ESPN, hell, even during ESPN. Just dont like it.

 

[king3pj]

The traditionalist in me likes ESPN and ABC as seperate brands. I mean ABC Sports were around for years even before ESPN, hell, even during ESPN. Just dont like it.

But how much different do you think it would actually be? Unless they quit sharing their announcers like Kirk Herbstreit between college football on ESPN and college football on ABC there wouldn't be any difference outside of the logo and screen graphics. Sports fans recognize the ESPN brand even if they didn't know ESPN and ABC were part of the same company. Calling it ESPN on ABC adds some brand recognition that wouldn't otherwise exist. I wouldn't care if they started showing an ABC Sports logo instead of ESPN but I don't believe it would make any positive difference either.

 

[TMC1982]

But how much different do you think it would actually be? Unless they quit sharing their announcers like Kirk Herbstreit between college football on ESPN and college football on ABC there wouldn't be any difference outside of the logo and screen graphics. Sports fans recognize the ESPN brand even if they didn't know ESPN and ABC were part of the same company. Calling it ESPN on ABC adds some brand recognition that wouldn't otherwise exist. I wouldn't care if they started showing an ABC Sports logo instead of ESPN but I don't believe it would make any positive difference either.

Basically, the lack of union contracts is what keeps ESPN branding itself on ABC's sports telecasts. I think what Bob Iger and company don't seems to fully understand in this regard when it comes to sports programming on ABC (in recent years) is the overall lack of creation of prime-time programming and more importantly, the unique relationship w/ the affiliate stations. Do you seriously think that ABC's affiliates (especially the owned and operated ones), really appreciate having another, non-ABC branded channel like ESPN (somewhat confusingly, regardless of it also being owned by Disney) taking precedent on programs that in the past, were branded as ABC's. Much of ABC in recent years has for better or worse, functioned as a glorified infomercial for Disney's brands/channels (and not a true-blue TV network). In Bob Iger's world, cable and satellite MSOs (like those providing ESPN) are pretty much loosely considered affiliates.

Without a proper male delivery system so to speak, like live sporting events (e.g. the NFL and what not), it most definitely hurt ABC's bottom-line. You need live-sports to serve as a platform to promote new programming and to train at large, younger viewers to tune into ABC's stations.