ESPN May Allow Distributors To Swap ESPN Classic, ESPNU
ESPN execs are "set to allow cable and satellite distributors to swap" ESPN Classic for ESPNU, which they "hope presents a newer, hipper alternative to Classic's staid, dated programming," according to John Ourand in this week's SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL. The proposal would allow operators "to move ESPN Classic to a sports tier, where it would be ESPN's first channel to reside on the traditionally low-penetrated mantle." The net also is "looking for added distribution" for both ESPN Deportes and ESPN360 as part of the offer. ESPN Classic currently is in "more than 63 million homes, typically on analog and digital basic tiers," while ESPNU is in "about 25 million homes, mainly on digital basic tiers, and ESPN Deportes is in fewer than 5 million homes." ESPN Classic was "once a viewer favorite for its extensive library and Emmy-winning documentaries," but it has "seen its viewer numbers drop sharply in the last three years." The channel in '08 averaged 74,000 viewers in primetime, down 31% from 107,000 viewers in '07. Ourand writes a deal "clearly would mostly help ESPNU, which is battling another collegiate sports channel, CBS College Sports Network, for carriage deals on the nation's cable and satellite systems." ESPN execs have "spent the last several weeks pitching this plan to cable operators," but talks are "expected to heat up this week" at the National Cable & Telecommunications Association's annual Cable Show in DC (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 3/30 issue).
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