Robert A. Iger, Disney’s chief executive, told analysts on an earnings call last week
that the ESPN service would allow people to tailor subscriptions based on their interest — “a given sport or a given team or a given region in a given period of time.” He also said that ESPN had been working to improve its mobile apps, which he said have recently attracted a relatively healthy monthly audience of 23 million unique users.
ESPN Is Betting on Big Personalities to Restore Its Fortunes -
By SYDNEY EMBER and BROOKS BARNESMAY 16, 2017
Just weeks after ESPN laid off about 100 journalists and on-air commentators, the “Worldwide Leader in Sports” unveiled a new programming slate on Tuesday filled with big personalities but short on the kind of highlight shows
that for many years were the foundation of the network.
ESPN formally announced several new shows — including a three-hour morning block with the longtime ESPN host Mike Greenberg, and one
that will feature the commentators Bomani Jones and Pablo Torre.
Absent, of course, was the talent the network laid off last month, including the former N. F.L.
The network has dropped subscribers in the last several years even as sports programming rights have become more expensive.
