Jemele Hill Reminds People They Can’t Not Watch ESPN

On a sports media panel hosted by Yahoo!, so take that for what it’s worth, Jemele Hill of ESPN provided the answer as to why ESPN has shifted noticeably into what some might refer to as the politically progressive. Or as it’s known more commonly in media journalism, 94 plus percent of us. The answer by the way is, you see more women and minorities on the channel and it makes you uncomfortable:

“I just hadn’t noticed the correlation between us being called more liberal as you see more women in a position on our network… as you see more ethnic diversity, then all of a sudden ESPN is too liberal. So I wonder, when people say that, what they’re really saying.”

Great point. Or, way to nail up to five percent of the real answer. Hill followed up by saying that ESPN has all the good game so whatcha gonna do anyhow. More salient point.

On the viewer end, it’s somewhat childish for a TV audience to expect ESPN to be leaning politically different than other corporate owned media. Why would ESPN be different than ABC or Disney? Same leadership. Because it’s sports and sports are sacred? As opposed to the way in which Islamic terrorism is covered or primetime television shows are picked, with politics in mind?

On the ESPN side, they’re basically fucked. They spent the GDP of nineteen Sudan’s locking into the long term rights on pro and college sports game coverage. They’ve got the games. Studies have been done. People bitch about the Caitlin Jenner and Colin Kaepernick commentary on ESPN, but they don’t leave. As a technical matter, you really can’t leave ESPN unless you cut the cord because you’re paying for it whether you watch it or not. And it’s getting more expensive. 

The drop in total cable and satellite subscribers is causing the drop in ESPN’s viewing population. But they’ve still got the games. So you’re not going to watch Curry and LeBron out of protest? Sports are like pussy. Grumble and complain then get yourself back in there.