Re:ESPN Loses 621,000 Subscribers; Worst Month in Company Hi...
by pyoung on Saturday October 29, 2016 @03:50PM
(#12825967)
I think the election is the most plausible explanation. Modern American politics has turned into it's own sport, with the debates, commentary, polling, and predictive modeling, following a modern election these days feel eerily similar to following your favorite sports team (but with much higher stakes).
This is certainly the narrative I've heard Limbaugh advance of late, but this[0] NPR post has stats that my offer another explanation:
"The Wall Street Journal reports the prime-time audience of adults under 50 for the top four broadcast networks, which schedule dramas, comedies, and so-called reality shows in that slot, is down 9.2 percent from last year's fall TV season."
"But the cable news networks...up 39 percent in a three-week span this fall from the same time period during the last presidential election."
"Movie attendance since Labor Day is down 16 percent"
[0]http://www.npr.org/2016/10/29/499801719/stop-lying-america-y...