It's early, but Fox Sports 1 is off to a rough start. This Business Insider piece says no one's watching. And while that may be a bit of hyperbole --- hell, I turned it on a couple times --- it does show that the supposed challenger to ESPN will have a tough road ahead.
And guess what? It's not because of ESPN.
If you look closely at the numbers, it's not like ESPN is swimming in viewers. Sure, they get huge ratings for the NFL and other marque sporting events, but otherwise their viewership is fairly pedestrian.
Fox Sports I is going to have a hard,hard time because it's trying to compete in a glutted sports market and challenging digital environment.
The time when users would sit at home at a defined time to watch highlights of games that happened hours --- or minutes --- ago is long gone. Play-by-play is available to anyone with a smart phone (which is now 6 in 10 Americans); scores are available the minute the game is over; highlights are available on any number of video platforms on any number of devices.
ESPN took 35 years to build the most dominate brand in cable television. That brand and dominance means they'll be able to figure out digital partnerships that keep the company profitable and viable. Fox Sports 1 has a difficult dual mission --- try to grab some audience while becoming relevant in the digital world. That's a tough task.
And guess what? It's not because of ESPN.
If you look closely at the numbers, it's not like ESPN is swimming in viewers. Sure, they get huge ratings for the NFL and other marque sporting events, but otherwise their viewership is fairly pedestrian.
Fox Sports I is going to have a hard,hard time because it's trying to compete in a glutted sports market and challenging digital environment.
The time when users would sit at home at a defined time to watch highlights of games that happened hours --- or minutes --- ago is long gone. Play-by-play is available to anyone with a smart phone (which is now 6 in 10 Americans); scores are available the minute the game is over; highlights are available on any number of video platforms on any number of devices.
ESPN took 35 years to build the most dominate brand in cable television. That brand and dominance means they'll be able to figure out digital partnerships that keep the company profitable and viable. Fox Sports 1 has a difficult dual mission --- try to grab some audience while becoming relevant in the digital world. That's a tough task.
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