Disney May Sell Part of ESPN to Amazon, Google, or Apple, According to Reports

The News comes as Disney seeks to find a way to turn around ESPN’s declining fortunes. The sports network has been losing subscribers for years, and its ad revenue needs to grow.

Disney believes selling part of ESPN to a tech giant could help the network reach a wider audience. The tech giants have the resources and technology to help ESPN expand its streaming services and get more viewers.

Why is Disney Selling Part of ESPN?

There are a few reasons why Disney might be considering selling part of ESPN. It is declining subscriber numbers. ESPN has been losing subscribers for years. In 2022 the network lost 2.4 million subscribers, bringing its total to just under 80 million. This decline is due to numerous factors, including the rise of cord-cutting and the escalating demand for streaming services.

Moreover, ESPN’s ad revenue has been the same for years. In 2022, the network’s ad revenue was $7.6 billion, the same amount as in 2016. ESPN is becoming costly to support. The network spends billions of dollars on programming, production, and marketing. This cost is becoming more work to justify as ESPN’s subscriber numbers and ad revenue decline.

What are the Potential Buyers for ESPN?

There are a few potential buyers for ESPN. The most likely buyers are Amazon, Google, and Apple. Apple is a significant player in the tech industry. The company has a large subscriber base for its Apple TV+ service and is investing heavily in sports services. Apple would be a good fit for ESPN because it could help the network reach a wider audience.

Amazon is also a prominent player in the streaming market. The company has a large subscriber base for its Amazon Prime Video service and is investing money to get sports content. Amazon would be a good fit for ESPN because it could help the network reach a wider audience and grow its streaming business.

Moreover, Google is yet another huge name in the streaming market. The company owns YouTube, the most popular video-sharing website in the world. Google could help to grow its streaming business.

What Would a Sale of ESPN Mean for the Sports Media Landscape?

A sale of ESPN would be a significant shakeup for the sports media landscape. ESPN is one of the most renowned sports platforms, and its sale would significantly impact how sports are consumed.

If ESPN were sold to a big tech company, it would likely lead to more consolidation in the sports media industry. The big name in tech would have the resources to acquire other sports media properties, and this could lead to lesser choices for viewers.

For now, all we have to do is wait and hope that this merger will help ESPN reach as many screens as possible. Because the sale of ESPN could change how sports are covered, the tech giants might be more interested in using ESPN to promote their products and services rather than providing comprehensive sports coverage.

Gary Wilson

Gary is a geeky-binge watcher who loves to pen down all that he watches. The night-owl has just got two hobbies, binge-watching all the latest shows and writing everything about them.