In the work, Schroepfer presents a list of show ideas for a future ESPN. And while each concept might have merit, Schroepfer seems to be stuck in a paradigm of TV show development and offerings. And well, Schroepfer's kind of thinking does not seem strategic at all.
And now for something completely different ...
ESPN could become the broker of sports entertainment already being captured ("broadcast") by TV firms worldwide and a programmatic advertising network to let advertisers target ads.
Sports TV is ubiquitous in many nations. Rather than originate content, which incurs quite a bit of expenses, ESPN execs could become a Doubleclick / OpenX meets Netflix mash-up.
How?
- ESPN execs could set up the back end to support "re-streaming" of broadcast signals by those already broadcasting sporting events.
- ESPN execs could charge users on a pay-per-view basis, splitting the revenue between content producers and themselves.
- ESPN execs could establish a programmatic advertising network to let advertisers buy viewers based on highly targeted demographic profiles. Such a network could support real-time bidding.
Cord cutting and fractionalized viewer interest driven by Millennials are fast creating a future where traditional paradigm thinking as expressed by Schroepfer will not bring in profit on margins needed to give adequate returns to investors.
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