Bodenheimer Discusses “MNF,” Challenge From New Sports Nets

Bodenheimer (3rd from right) Takes Part In Louis Borrelli Media Summit

ESPN/ABC Sports President George Bodenheimer took part in the 2nd Annual Louis Borrelli Media Summit at SUNY-Oswego last week, and Staff Writer Rick Ellington spent a few minutes there asking him about several issues concerning the net, including the success ESPN has had so far with “MNF” and the development of ESPNU.

Q: ESPN obviously paid a lot for the rights to “Monday Night Football” in the new NFL TV deal. At this point in the season, is “Monday Night Football” where you thought it would be ratings-wise? How are you looking at building upon the success for next year?

Bodenheimer: “Monday Night Football” is over-delivering in every aspect of how you look at it. Certainly from a ratings standpoint, it’s doing phenomenally well. Sales have delivered well, the buzz in the trade papers and consumer publications have been great, so we’re excited about where we are. For the future, we’re always interested in improving everything we have, and “Monday Night Football” will be no different. Even though it looks like we’re on our way to a great first season, we’ll certainly look at ways to make it better next year.

Q: With different conferences beginning to start their own networks — the Mountain West Conference has The mtn., and the Big Ten is launching their own net next year — how is that going to impact ESPN and alter your coverage?

Bodenheimer: I think it’s just unclear right now. We’re in the top of the first inning in the evolution of the new networks, so it remains to be seen how that plays out. On some levels, I look at it as complementary to what we’re doing, with the growing demand for sports viewing. The demand and usage of television viewing is increasing, not decreasing, so the new mediums have helped to grow the body.

Q: ESPNU was launched last spring. Is the network where you thought it would be in terms of the number of HHs and content-wise, and how is ESPN looking at how to expand that in the future?

Bodenheimer: I’m really happy with where ESPNU is in its development. We’re in 8-10 million homes, we’re adding content all the time, the number of live events is growing, the number of colleges that want to get their product on ESPNU is growing. With the popularity of college sports in this country, I have no doubt it will grow into a full-fledged network.

Q: Has there been any backlash to the elimination of ABC Sports?

Bodenheimer: We just got our first research back after five or six weeks on the air doing that. About 20% of people surveyed said it improved or increased their interest in the telecast, thought it made for a better telecast, while 70% thought it didn’t change anything. The upside for us is putting all of our resources under ESPN — that’s where the growth is — and it way outweighs any nostalgia for the old days.

Q: It seems the amount of EOE content has declined in the year since Mark Shapiro left the company. Was that a conscious effort by those who have ascended to take Shapiro’s place?

Bodenheimer: It’s more a matter of what we have in the pipeline. We have two big projects, “Ruffian” and an eight-part miniseries based on the book “The Bronx Is Burning,” that are coming out next year. But there has been no conscious decision to scale that back.