Media rights for sports continue to rise, but that might be ok with ESPN as long as the numbers follow. It certainly worked out last Wednesday, as the trio of NBA matchups on Thanksgiving Eve saw a 54% increase from last year’s double header. An important question for ESPN to should be, is this due to increased enthusiasm for the league, the extra game, or the teams involved?
According to a press release from ESPN, games through Thanksgiving have seen a 30 percent bump from the same period last season.
Sports content has become the draw for live TV over the past 10 years as the public has adopted a preference for on-demand content, which has all but killed appointment viewing and “it” series (not to be confused with Welcome To Derry). Sports, on the other hand, doesn’t work a week or two later. Nobody says, I’m just gonna let the whole NFL season play itself out and binge it all so I don’t have to wait week to week.
But in the end if the ratings do not pan out it is a failed investment. So ESPN better hope the numbers stay up.
