They've been losing subscribers for 5 years now. The rate is increasing every month.
It has nothing to do with politics.
It's digital media and the NFL, MLB and NBA networks and Netflix and Hulu drawing traditional cable TV viewers away fro traditional cable.
Advertising is down because viewership is down. But ESPN is locked into these broadcasting rights deals with the leagues. They're paying more than ever and making less and less every year from live sports. But they're still making money.
ESPN pays 7.3 Billion per year for rights to air games. The most by far. ESPN is the most expensive channel cable companies pay to carry. By 3x! If you have cable, you pay ESPN $80 per yr weather you watch the games or not. It's a dirty little cable secret that gives ESPN Billions in 'free money' per year. Cable subscribers go down, free money goes down. The cable hustle is over! Viewers have options now!
The experts say the free money will be zero by 2021, conservatively. It's a dead network, still walking.
If they can negotiate DOWN the amount they pay the leagues to broadcast the games they can survive though.
The question is, 'Will the NFL take less for the rights to MNF for the first time in history?'
Or
'Will the NFL bleed ESPN out, put MNF on The NFL network and then just sell advertising on The NFL network to make up for the loss of ESPN rights money.'
In other words, CUT OUT THE BIGGEST MIDDLE MAN IN CABLE.
What would you do? Lol.
The NFL is straight gangster!
The MLB and NBA are the little G's learning from the OG.
Survival of the fittest.
Natural selection.
Can't stop nature cuzzo.