ESPN is failing because it stopped covering sports.
Used to be that you could see things on ESPN that none of the other networks would cover (like drag boat racing, or River Jet Boat racing). They may not have been glamorous, but they were interesting and different.
Their model went to major sports and commentary on them. The latter part went full leftist, and everyone started tuning them out. The point of sports is escapism, not more full-throated leftist garbage.
If I could do a la carte cable....ESPN would not be on the list.
ESPN is failing because it stopped covering sports.
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Sort of like MTV did with music.