ESPN Not Concerned About Cable Unbundling

Written by: Bob Larson Tennis on 27th September 2013

Maria Sharapova of Russia wins semi final

ESPN Not Concerned About Cable Unbundling

epa000290597 Maria Sharapova signs tennis balls before hitting them out to fans following her victory over Thailand's Tamarine Tanasugarn in a Japan Open tennis semi final match in Tokyo, Friday 8 October 2004. Sharapova won 6-2, 6-3. EPA/ANDY RAIN |

Speaking at The Wrap’s fourth annual Media Leadership Conference, ESPN President John Skipper dismissed the media discussion – allegedly ignited by Arizona Sen. John McCain’s bill proposal – that an la carte system on cable is on the horizon. ESPN holds the rights to the vast majority of big tennis tournaments in the United States and said that

that cable is in “no danger of de-bundling or significant decline — and ESPN has no incentive to go a la carte.”

A la carte cable would mean that people would be able to pick and choose stations or individual shows they want to watch, rather than be forced into buying various and more pricey packages that are the case today.

“The proliferation of video does not necessarily portend a cable erosion.” Skipper said at the conference: “It’s the best value in entertainment, and it’s not in a precipitous decline. Paid TV has for many years held almost all the good video. Now there are places where quality video exists outside this system. I think it will grow. The question is, Will it grow to the detriment of pay TV? So far, it hasn’t had any significant effects.”

Skipper did concede that cable marketplace is rapidly shifting but does not believe that it is fragmenting.”

“What we’re really talking about is proliferation,” he said. “I’m not dismissing that things are happening. There are new sources of video. “[But the] appetite for content — and sports content, in particular — is essentially keeping pace.”

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