Fox Sports’ Horowitz: ESPN Should Worry About "SportsCenter"

Fox Sports National Networks President Jamie Horowitz wasted no time at this morning’s opening panel at the CAA World Congress of Sports criticizing his former employer, ESPN, and its continued focus on the flagship "SportsCenter" program. In Horowitz’s opinion, viewership trends have veered sharply away from highlight-based shows, reflected in FS1’s continuing shift toward more opinion-based programming.

"I loved ESPN," Horowitz said. "I have great memories of my time there. And ‘SportsCenter’ has helped give it an identity for 30 years. But if you look at recent trends, they’ve lost 30% of the audience in the last five years. And among younger viewers, it’s 40%. That’s a staggering fall. I would be a little worried if I were them. … There has been a seismic shift in how people consume content. If you want to see a highlight, you’re not going wait eight hours to see it."