Don't Hold Your Breath For a Standalone ESPN Streaming Service

[Poke]

http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/...or-a-Standalone-ESPN-Streaming-Service-134626

 

[JTBenson]

Most of ESPN's contracts with the major conferences expire around 2025. We will probably start seeing some changes around that time because there will be more players bidding at that time. I expect Netflix and Amazon to get in on some bidding wars for sports contracts in the future. There may be other major streaming providers pop up that get involved.

 

[Lue]

2014 No we will not offer ESPN A la Carte
2015 Maybe we see A la Carte in 5 years
2016/2017 I believe you will see ESPN A la Carte

Remember Iger is trying to reassure shareholders that all is well in Disney World, the numbers for ESPN are not adding up, and the cord cutters/shavers are growing everyday.

When the FCC removes the barriers to new internet companies being able to buy programming the same as the big boys, the floodgates are going to swing wide open in this market, everyone, including ESPN will have to reevaluate market conditions.

It has been six months since the FCC under Wheeler offered up the proposal as a way to insure OVD providers have the nondiscriminatory access to vertically integrated programming as traditional MVPDs.

http://www.multichannel.com/news/fcc/fccs-sohn-ovd-mvpd-definition-win-win/391126

http://www.satelliteguys.us/xen/threads/espn-cutting-costs.351744/