Why Does ABC Seem to Hate Airing Sports Now?

[TMC1982]

*They allow a cable network (ESPN) under the same corporate umbrella (Disney) pretty much produce sports for them.

*After 36 years and seven Super Bowls, they easily let "Monday Night Football" go to the afordmentioned cable network. Without "MNF", ABC no longer has a ready made promotional outlet for their other programming. CBS learned that particular lessen the hard way when they didn't have the NFL from 1994-1997. A by product of "MNF" leaving ABC is the departure of one of the best announcers ever in Al Michaels.

*Instead of going after Bowl Championship Series once again (after FOX had apparently, given up in the bidding process), they once again, rather have their sister network do their dirty work.

*They failed to go after Major League Baseball (which seemed logical considering that ESPN had already been broadcasting MLB for quite some time now) when the rights were up for renewal in 2006. This could've helped supplant the loss of "MNF" on the schedule and prevented one half of the League Championship Series to air on cable (TBS).

*Their NBA coverage has been perhaps, the most mismanaged, underwhelming, inconsistant major, pro sports TV package since CBS' Major League Baseball coverage in the early '90s.

*They've gotten rid of a long time staple (since the early 1960s) in the form of "Wide World of Sports", first by changing its anthology format (conveniently, after Disney bought ABC), and then getting rid of it completely once the "ESPN on ABC" concept was put into place. Not only that, but they also took the Pro Bowlers Tour (another long time staple of ABC Sports) off the air around the same period that Disney came into the picture.

*After some 50 years on ABC, the British Open will soon move to you've guessed it, ESPN.

 

[Immortalfire]

The reptilians control ESPN. It's a conspiracy.

 

[FaT_tONle]

How the BCS goes to ESPN is beyond me.... I think it's a good thing because first Fox... now ESPN??? None of the major networks want this thing... ESPN will ditch it in due time and we'll get a plus one system in place after 2014... full blown playoff around 2021... I mean ABC's premiere sport right now is college football... you HAVE to pick up the BCS... guess it's too much money. And the NBA still has so much ground to make up... it is SO FAR behind MLB and football right now. Hell even college basketball is more popular BY FAR and CBS will never let that go to ABC/ESPN. ABC is becoming the old NBC for real.

 

[ScottyBBadd]

How the BCS goes to ESPN is beyond me.... I think it's a good thing because first Fox... now ESPN??? None of the major networks want this thing... ESPN will ditch it in due time and we'll get a plus one system in place after 2014... full blown playoff around 2021... I mean ABC's premiere sport right now is college football... you HAVE to pick up the BCS... guess it's too much money. And the NBA still has so much ground to make up... it is SO FAR behind MLB and football right now. Hell even college basketball is more popular BY FAR and CBS will never let that go to ABC/ESPN. ABC is becoming the old NBC for real.

I could not have put it any better myself.

 

[TMC1982]

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/telander/1287263,CST-SPT-rick19.article]All-powerful and all-consuming, ESPN has nobody to challenge it[/url]

Behind the Broadcast: ESPN appears to be cornering the market

ESPN getting way too big for its britches

Is ESPN Forcing ABC To Get Out of the Sports Business?

 

[Shifty]

MNF was losing ABC millions of dollars, it was a business decision. ABC has done much better in the ratings without MNF while NBC continues to sink with FNIA. So it was the smart move.

 

[TMC1982]

MNF was losing ABC millions of dollars, it was a business decision. ABC has done much better in the ratings without MNF while NBC continues to sink with FNIA. So it was the smart move.

If anything, "FNIA" is the only show on NBC that continuously gets great, top 20 or top 10 style ratings. NBC primarily wanted the NFL back in the first place because they were otherwise, underperforming in the ratings game. Based on what you just said, it sounds like having the National Football League on prime time television (which is the "marquee game of the week" and provides a great outlet to promote your other shows) is not a good idea.

 

[Shifty]

It could also be at the time ABC was putting out crap like NBC is now. ESPN is the only network to truly benefit from the switch.

It does give NBC the Super Bowl. All it really does is save them from putting programming from September to December on Sunday nights.

 

[TMC1982]

It could also be at the time ABC was putting out crap like NBC is now. ESPN is the only network to truly benefit from the switch.

It does give NBC the Super Bowl. All it really does is save them from putting programming from September to December on Sunday nights.

So I guess that means, that CBS and FOX are "putting out crap" since they show NFL games too!

 

[Shifty]

So I guess that means, that CBS and FOX are "putting out crap" since they show NFL games too!

No CBS has actually seen growth while Fox was the highest rated network for the first time last year. Its just that after ABC shot themselves in the foot with Millionaire they had no shows ready to fill the time periods and what they did have was rejected by America. They were all watching NBC and CBS.

Then Lost, Desperate Housewives, Ugly Betty, Grey's Anatomy and Dancing with the Stars came around and boosted ABC's ratings. Even if they still had MNF, I doubt the male dominated audience would tune in for those shows.

NBC is now in 4th place and has given up the 10/9 c weeknight slot and will fill that with Jay Leno next fall.

Having football is a great way to promote your shows on paper. But if the shows you produce suck or doesn't appeal to the audience then it doesn't matter.