ESPN has been hurting in ratings, even for big events.
Most believe this is because many of the pundits on the sports network have taken to discussing politics and trashing Donald Trump.
That is about to change, as ESPN President Jimmy Pitaro stated, “Without question, our data tells us our fans do not want us to cover politics.”
America Getting Fed Up
Conservative viewers of the all-sports network have been telling ESPN to back off on politics for years.
Most sports fans use sports as an escape, not to have more liberal nonsense rammed down their throats.
It may not have been so bad for ESPN had they had more than one or two conservatives on the network, but that was not the case.
Virtually every athlete and host that went off on politics was trashing Trump.
To be honest, the average American simply is not interested in hearing it, regardless of the side of the aisle they sit on.
This has been proven as cable news ratings continue to slip, even for Fox News.
Stop the Politics
ESPN used to dominate during its sporting events, but management finally realized people are not tuning in to watch games if they are going to be preached to during the game.
Well, ESPN finally gets it.
Pitaro stated, “I really believed that some of our talent was confused on what was expected of them.
“If you fast-forward to today, I don’t believe they are confused.”
This is a major turnaround from the stance the network had been taking.
Over the last few years, management has released several statements saying it does not get political, but that was obviously not the case.
Loss of subscribers and low ratings finally got the message through that sports viewers are not interested in being preached to and told they are horrible people if they are conservative.
While it is a step in the right direction for the network, it may be too late.
Viewers that used to watch ESPN have now subscribed to online streaming services or private networks to see their favorite games.
It is nice to hear the network admit it made a mistake, but many people have already cut their ties to the cable network and it is unlikely they will ever go back.
Source: LA Times
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