re: ESPN as a whole is it in decline?

I'm employed by ESPN/Disney but I actually find myself watching ESPN less and less if it's not a live event. I certainly don't watch their daily programming because I'm not one to get worked up listening to people scream their opinions on air. I'll watch SportsCenter every now and then. But even that isn't on the same level as years before.

Like others have said, I don't think they are in any real decline due to the sheer volume of broadcast rights they have. Their recent NBA contract, Monday Night football, MLB Sunday Night Baseball, and they've pretty much cornered the entire market when it comes to college sports (Most notably college football). So if you want to watch your favorite college team, there is a pretty good chance you'll need to tune into ESPN in some capacity.

If you lean more towards pro sports then you definitely have more options available.