Why Can No One Challenge ESPN?

      ESPN dominates the cable television sports market, of that there is no question. According to Nielsen the network averages 3.94 million viewers per week, of which 1.77 million are in the highly coveted 18-49 demographic. The question is why? Why can no one challenge ESPN’s dominance?

            It doesn’t seem like it’d be that hard for an investor or network willing to put in the money to acquire the talent and secure the broadcast rights for a nightly highlight show. I mean everyone likes sports right? Surely, if you build it, they will come.

            If Mark Cuban was truly serious about putting together a cable channel, he’d be better off canceling the current awfulness he’s broadcasting on HDnet and calling off his courtship of Charlie Sheen and look to compete with the self proclaimed worldwide leader in sports.

            Surely, there are those that tried, but the programming wasn’t just weak it was beyond awful. Whoever on the now largely forgotten FoxSportsNet thought hyping a show headlined by Chris Rose and, of all people, Tom Arnold would topple ESPN from the top of the cable mountain needs to have their head examined, or at least get those pictures back from Tom Arnold. The last major competitor with ESPN, Ted Turner’s RSN, ceased to exist in the early nineties. It’s a mystery why no one’s made a serious run at challenging ESPN since.

            For all its dominance and seeming invincibility, now would be probably the best time to launch such an effort. ESPN’s credibility as a serious sports network and unbiased purveyor of sports information has taken a major hit over the last twelve months. From last summer’s “The Decision”, where the network openly entered into a broadcast deal with an active superstar, to this past winter’s “Heat Index”, ESPN has pulled back the curtain and revealed itself to be what most already suspected, a network that openly embraces and supports certain stars and teams while disparaging and openly rooting against others.

            Forget superstars and teams; just ask the NHL how much coverage it has received since spurning ESPN and deciding to sign on with NBC and Versus instead.

            ESPN’s credibility issues don’t end with Lebron either. When news that Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger had been accused of sexual assault for a second time after a night out with teammates in Milledgeville, Georgia, the network was slow to respond, only choosing to report on the incident after it was clear the story just wasn’t going away. Ditto for when Packers/Jets/Vikings/Panthers? QB Brett Favre was revealed to have sent pictures of little Brett to Jets sideline reporter Jenn Sterger.

            Favre is probably the shining example of ESPN’s biased reporting. For years ESPN “reporters” and commentators have had an unhealthy obsession with the former number 4. Even as Favre began costing his teams games and in the case of the 2007 Packers and 2009 Vikings, possible championships, the network bent over backwards to make excuses for the aging superstar. When Favre began his annual retirement-unretirement saga, selfishly holding whole teams offseasons hostage you could still see Ron Jaworski’s tent pole from a mile away during Monday   Night Games. Tony Kornheiser engaged in whole five minute soliloquies about the “warrior” who was just out there “having fun.” This past year, as Favre’s season got off to a particularly dreadful start, analyst Tom Jackson lauded Favre for “not being afraid to throw an interception.” Bravo Tom, really.

            Jackson’s not alone in his ignorant, opinionated speech though. The networks penchant for hiring ex-athletes, regardless of whether or not they could form a coherent sentence or contribute to the conversation is well documented. Emmit Smith was a disaster, Michael Irvin wasn’t much better. Joe Morgan turned every turn in the Sunday night broadcast booth into a testimonial on his hall of fame career.

            Outside of ex-athletes the network also specializes in hiring and promoting sports columnists from around the country whose primary talent seems only to be annoying the shit out of every viewer. The network proudly promotes people like Skip Bayless. What’s his claim to fame? Oh yeah, insinuating in a 1996 “tell all” book that Troy Aikman was gay without having any evidence to back it up. The network’s “Around the Horn” program has excelled at showcasing the disreputable and aggravating. Woody Paige brings nothing but breathless, idiotic enthusiasm to the table. Bill Plashcke needs to be dumped post haste and Jemelle Hill sees racism behind every corner of the sporting world. Hell, its how Jay Mariotti became famous, that is before he beat his girlfriend.

            The network specializes in hyperbole and outrageousness. If you can shout an unfounded, inflammatory comment and rile a number of viewers you’re hired. No qualifications needed, just keep pissing people off and you’ll get all the face time you need. Just ask Colin Cowherd or Merril Hodges.

            How no one can take this machine on is baffling, but really someone’s got to try. I mean people have even tried over the past three decades to take on the NFL how can no one not see the potential ratings goldmine here for the taking. There’s a ready audience, people yearning for a viable alternative to the worldwide leader. All it’s going to take is that one entrepreneur to put his money down and we’ll be there.