ESPN Senior VP/”SportsCenter” & News Rob King yesterday defended the net’s ongoing commitment to journalism in the wake of recent layoffs, saying, "When you start thinking about The Undefeated, ESPNW, what we’ve done with 'E:60' and 'OTL,' and even how we cover sports going forward, we are committed to journalism." King, following the net's upfront presentation, said ESPN employs "more sports journalists than any other entity on the planet." King: "We did make some difficult decisions regarding talent in order for us to push into this content strategy we’re looking toward. It’s multi-platform, very ambitious, and we had to make some specific choices. But in the end, we still employ many people who are out there digging. And I can tell you that the next five weeks of 'E:60' are going to tell stories that nobody else is telling." King spoke with reporters as a replacement of sorts for ESPN President John Skipper, who surprisingly skipped the unofficial tradition of a post-upfront Q&A (Eric Fisher, Staff Writer). On Long Island, Neil Best notes ESPN "appeared to offer more evidence the network is evolving from traditional news and highlights shows to ones that rely more on personality and discussion." However, King said that to "understand fully the company’s approach" to highlight shows, it is "important to consider the big picture of its offerings." King: "We’ve got a huge following on Instagram. We have a 13 year-old-son who wakes up every morning and says, ‘Did you see that play?’ I say, ‘No, I didn’t see that play. I had just woken up. Where did you see that play?’ ‘On the SportsCenter Instagram account.’ That’s a good story for us." King said ESPN works "tirelessly to live up to the promise" that the company made in its first "SportsCenter" show in '79. King: "We said we would be serving fans anyplace, anywhere. We’re the only ones who try to live up to that every day" (NEWSDAY, 5/17).
PERSONALITY TRAITS: In N.Y., Ember & Barnes report the theme of ESPN's upfront was a "bet on the power of the network’s personalities." In an "apparent effort to draw viewers to 'SportsCenter' ... ESPN has retooled the show, tying time slots to specific anchors, including Kenny Mayne, one of the network’s best-known personalities." The show will not air at all from 7:00am until 6:00pm on ESPN’s main channel" (N.Y. TIMES, 5/17). SI.com's Richard Deitsch wrote regardless of how ESPN officials "want to spin it, they have sent a message to the marketplace that SportsCenter is no longer the television sports show of record." ESPN instead is "banking on opinion-driven dialogue for its most-watched channel in an era of declining cable subscribers and viewership" (SI.com, 5/16). Sage Steele will be a host of the revamped "SportsCenter: AM," and she said, "What I’ve always liked about morning TV is that it’s personality-driven." However, in DC, Dan Steinberg notes Steele "isn’t ready to give up on the appeal of well-presented and analyzed sports highlights." She said that the three-hour show will "offer a chance to present the same events in multiple ways, from the traditional to the more modern." Steele: “We have a lot to figure out in the next couple of months, but I think it’ll be a combination. And I think that’s healthy, because you can’t just say that this is the way" (WASHINGTON POST, 5/17).
NOT GOING ANYWHERE: In L.A., Stephen Battaglio writes Skipper yesterday made a case for the "continued vitality of his business." His address at the start of the presentation was "like an impassioned coach’s speech in the locker room at halftime" (L.A. TIMES, 5/17). NEWSDAY's Best notes the upfront "always showcases a variety of ESPN personalities," but the net yesterday "made a point of parading an unprecedented number of them onto the stage." It was a "presumed effort to demonstrate plenty of talent remains after the layoffs of about 100 people last month" (NEWSDAY.com, 5/16). SPORTING NEWS' Michael McCarthy noted ESPN "didn't directly address the recent layoffs," but there was a "powerful moment ... when it invited dozens of on-air talent to come on stage at the same time." McCarthy: "The message was clear to the audience: We're still an army. Let FS1, Fox, NBC and CBS challenge us at their peril" (SPORTINGNEWS.com, 5/16).
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: In our latest podcast, SBD/SBJ Exec Editor Abe Madkour and Staff Writer John Ourand talk about this week's upfront presentations from both ESPN and Fox:
