Hang Up And Listen

Should We Be Worried About the Future of Sports Television?

ESPN is hemorrhaging subscribers, and NFL ratings are declining. What’s going on?

In the Slate Plus bonus segment of Monday’s edition of Hang Up and Listen, hosts Josh Levin and Mike Pesca are joined by the Ringer’s editor-at-large Bryan Curtis to discuss the future of sports television. Recently, NFL ratings have been declining, while ESPN continues to lose subscribers. What does Bryan make of these trends? Do certain generations prefer watching live sports events more than others?

And with fewer people paying for cable these days, how can sports networks keep turning a profit?