re: When did ESPN start declining?

quote:

---

When did ESPN start declining?

---

Most likely inversely proportional to your age if you are a 25-35 year old.

Growing up, people like me revered ESPN bc Sportscenter was a highlight machine of consistency and comfort you'd either wake up or fall asleep to - each show was exactly the same and that's is/was good.It was essentially the only Sports channel that mattered (CNN did a decent Sports show if I remember properly, but it was only for an hour per day).

The problem is now due to a myriad of interwebz and communication alternatives, proliferation of live games that also include a bottom line score/news feed, we don't need the Flagship Sportscenter everyday, and ESPN knows that. Can't also disregard the fact that the average person doesn't have as much time to watch an hour of highlight shows everyday bc Americans are working longer hours, and we also don't have the same discipline or attention span to watch highlights, mostly because we are conditioned to want results (ie final scores) right away.

ESPN has delved into other entertainment sources, such as things the average "get off my lawn guy" may not like, to maintain viewership in a competitive world of 500 channels and on-demand information.