Criticism of ESPN - Integration of ABC Sports

Integration of ABC Sports

It was announced in August 2006 that ABC Sports would be totally integrated into ESPN, using ESPN graphics, music, and production. The brand integration does not directly affect whether ESPN (the cable channel) or ABC carries a particular event, as in most cases this is governed by contracts with the applicable league or organization. Perhaps confusingly, this means that some events are broadcast with ESPN branding during ABC coverage, even though another channel owns the cable rights – for example, TNT owned cable rights to the British Open from 2003 to 2009 (with ABC picking up weekend coverage), while IndyCar Series rights are currently split between ABC and NBC Sports Network.

The last live sporting event televised under the ABC Sports banner was the United States Championship Game in the Little League World Series on Saturday, August 26, 2006 (ABC was slated to carry the Little League World Series Championship Game on Sunday, August 27, but the game was postponed to Monday August 28 due to rain, subsequently airing on ESPN2). The changeover took effect the following weekend to coincide with the start of the college football season, with NBA, IndyCar Series, and NASCAR coverage eventually following suit.

However, ABC used its own graphics (with the ABC logo), to cover the final round of the Scripps National Spelling Bee, similar to the older-styled ESPN graphics but with a yellow base. In 2008, though, it used the newer yellow and red ESPN graphics which had been used on other recent telecasts but also with the ABC logo.

Despite the rebranding, it appears that ABC Sports continues to exist, at least nominally, as a division of the ABC network – George Bodenheimer's official title has remained "President, ESPN Inc. and ABC Sports" (the second part would be unnecessary if ESPN had fully absorbed ABC's sports operations). In addition, ABC itself maintains the copyright over many of the ESPN-branded broadcasts, if they are not contractually assigned to the applicable league or organizer, suggesting that ESPN has merely "loaned" usage of its brand name, staff, and infrastructure to ABC, rather than having acquired ABC Sports outright. ESPN has been criticized for decreasing the amount of sports on ABC, especially during the summer. An example is NASCAR-from 2007-2009, ABC showed all of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup races, along with the penultimate race to the chase. Since 2010, ABC only shows 3 Sprint Cup races with only 1 Chase race (Charlotte) to the outrage of many NASCAR fans and sponsors.

This is likely a minor technicality stemming from ESPN being technically a joint venture of Disney (80%) and Hearst Corporation (20%), even though Hearst is believed to be more of a silent partner rather than an active participant in ESPN's management. However, this relationship does mean that Hearst's ABC affiliates, such as WTAE-TV Pittsburgh, WCVB-TV Boston, WMUR (Manchester, New Hampshire), WISN-TV Milwaukee, and KMBC-TV Kansas City, have first right of refusal on the local simulcasts of ESPN-televised Monday Night Football games involving home-market teams, which are very rarely waived to other stations in their markets. Equally, other Hearst stations such as NBC affiliated WBAL-TV in Baltimore have been able to air NFL games from ESPN for the same reason.

Under NFL broadcasting rules, the league's cable games must be simulcast on broadcast television in the local markets of the teams playing, though the home team's market does not get the game if it does not sell out 72 hours before kickoff - games that are not sold out must be blacked out in the market of origin. Similar rules and rights were previously in place for ESPN-televised Major League Baseball playoff games.

ESPN has since been criticized for decreasing the amount of sports on ABC. Even several ABC affiliates have voiced opposition regarding the increasing migration of live sporting events from ABC to ESPN. An example is the broadcasting of NASCAR. From 2007-2009, ABC showed all of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup races, along with 1 other race. Since 2010, ABC only shows 3 races Sprint Cup races with only 1 Chase race (Charlotte) to the outrage of many NASCAR fans and sponsors. Several other events such as college football's Rose Bowl Game, golf's British Open, and the Capital One Bowl have also been moved from ABC to ESPN.