Original Article: Sports Business Journal, by Ed Desser and John Kosner, November 9th, 2026
Recently, we profiled emerging sports media powerhouses YouTube and Amazon. But there’s still only one ESPN. It has the strongest rights portfolio, and is the industry’s biggest-spending, highest-rated and most influential programmer. We should know: John worked there for more than 20 years, 15 overseeing digital media. Ed negotiated ABC/ESPN’s initial NBA/WNBA agreement.
ESPN is also critical to parent Disney — to reach men, power advertising growth and promote critical initiatives. But traditional pay TV, long its biggest growth engine, is in systemic decline as streaming ascends. To grow, ESPN must now get fans to buy ESPN, not “do things the way we always have.”
In the spirit of its parent company, time for a little “re-imagineering.” How?
ESPN’s first Super Bowl in February is a helluva start. We have ideas:
Focus rights spending to keep year-round must-watch properties, specifically the NFL, NBA, SEC football, CFP, the NCAA’s “other championships,” including women’s basketball, ACC basketball, the Masters, WNBA and Wimbledon/the U.S. Open. Sports fans pay for big games — via pay TV or a streaming subscription — and ESPN has them.
Deemphasize talking heads/studio shows. With rare exceptions (e.g., “College GameDay”), no one’s paying for these shows anymore. The formats are now available 24/7 for free on YouTube and excerpted/litigated on X.
Fill those hours with even more live events. Reallocate a chunk of the nine figures ESPN spends on its marquee talent to more game rights. With its eight linear networks and well-distributed app, ESPN can show live events from around the globe daily, providing valuable exposure to established and upcoming properties, likely with advantageous economics. Mornings and weekday afternoons? Live men’s and women’s soccer from Europe and South America, cricket, rugby … all open ESPN to broader ethnic and demographic groups. If you program it, they will come.
Make ABC the sports-first network.
Reinvest in ESPN’s live experience. Fans need to view ESPN/ABC/ESPN app as the best place to watch all games — alt-casts, real-time data, highlights, fantasy, personalization, customization and interactivity in one place. With attention to detail on all screens, keep the big screen pristine and make scoreboards bigger (readable) on smartphones for sports like tennis.
Make ESPN a daily habit for all fans. ESPN should be synonymous with sports — not just ESPN’s sports. There’s value both in fans knowing “the game’s on ESPN” and being the go-to hub that will tell you where to find every game. ESPN should deposit fans on the front door of rival networks — at no charge. The winner is the platform that solves today’s “discovery problem.”
Use that strategy to elevate ESPN’s advertising. Sports is the only remaining mass appointment viewing, and advertising is ESPN’s true variable revenue stream. Returning to a dedicated ESPN ad sales operation would optimize its CPMs and increase sellouts. ESPN grew total viewership 10% in fiscal year 2026. Higher single-digit ad sales growth is worth an additional $250 million-$500 million annually to the top line. ESPN should debut new formats (sponsored games and breaks), add more attribution (QR codes in ads), eliminate redundant streaming ads/promos, challenge Amazon’s innovations and resurrect its own powerful marketing voice. ESPN’s brand is sports; Disney’s is kids. Embrace that difference! In this era of watch parties, exploit ESPN’s ever-more valuable position in commercial establishments.
Spotlight the best athletes in every sport — from the NFL to table tennis — and tell their stories. Yes, the more Cowboys content on “SportsCenter,” likely the higher ratings … but you’re talking to the same audience. Instead, make ESPN the best place to get to know the world’s preeminent athletes. That’s a way to get the entire household curious about ESPN … and leverage these athletes’ huge social followings for tune-in, as we advocated to the Olympics. A profile of an NWSL star is more valuable than yet another generic “Sunday Night” promo, and strengthens ESPN’s critical rights holder partnership.
Reward direct subscribers to the ESPN app. ESPN does this today with Multiview. Simplify the experience and make it must-use:
With AI, ESPN knows your teams, players, fantasy roster, whatever you care about. More of the internet’s sports conversation could exist here too, perhaps in an updated GameCast. AI could also power multiple language feeds for minimal extra cost.
In the event of runovers, start all live events and studio programming on the app to encourage usage, and have linear nets join in progress.
Drop the bottom line on all games (fans have phones!) and offer that customization option on telecasts within the app for those who miss the added information.
Return ESPNews to being 24/7 sports TV news and scores, and personalize it on the app. Why cede this original ESPN innovation to CBS Sports HQ? Meanwhile …
Game around the games. Consider gameifying the networks for young male viewers by rewarding them for watching and predicting the next game(s) on ESPN. Makes ESPN Fantasy even bigger.
On the business side, get all available streaming and cable bundles to include most or all of ESPN. No networks are more central to live TV still, especially if ESPN expands live-event coverage. Perhaps trade some on rate increases or non-sports networks to gain broadest distribution. And work with those distribution partners to have fans on board, activate and personalize the app.
Sports media is a relationship business. ESPN/ABC can do things no one else can to enhance every sports property.
Ed Desser was the NBA’s senior media executive for 23 years. Today he runs consultancy Desser Sports Media Inc. (www.desser.tv). John Kosner was ESPN’s senior digital media executive and is now an investor in digital startups and runs consultancy Kosner Media (www.kosnermedia.com). They are the co-authors the new book “We’re Live! Inside the BIG Business of Sports Media” (www.werelivebook.com).
