Latest Nielson ratings show worldwide ratings leader ratings lost 621,000 cable subscribers in October ( equating to $ 52 million in lost monthly income ) , double the average loss over the last two years of 300,000 cable subscribers every month . While ESPN is disputing the figures , the trend is clear . If ESPN continues to lose 3 m subscribers every year , within five years it will be unable to cover its annual sports rights bill , which is currently estimated at approximately $ 7bn . Curation Comment As subscriber numbers , not just at ESPN but for other US sports cable channels and the NFL , continue to fall , analysts are willing to call the peak of the sports rights bubble . If cable subscription falls , advertising will fall as well , and this could lead to big changes in team revenue and player salaries . The winners could be Fox , NBC and CBS , already putting bigger games on free - to - air network TV , and online casino gambling companies , as the cable companies push harder for sports rights to be legalised in the US in order to help them replace those lost revenues .
Latest Nielson ratings show worldwide sports leader ESPN lost 621,000 cable subscribers in October (equating to $52m in lost monthly income), double the average loss over the last two years of 300,000 lost subscribers every month. While ESPN is disputing the figures, the trend is clear. If ESPN continues to lose 3m subscribers every year, within five years it will be unable to cover its annual sports rights bill, which is currently estimated at approximately $7bn. Curation Comment As subscriber numbers, not just at ESPN but for other US sports cable channels and the NFL, continue to fall, analysts are beginning to call the peak of the sports rights bubble. If cable subscription falls, advertising will fall as well, and this could lead to big changes in team revenue and player salaries. The winners could be Fox, NBC and CBS, already putting bigger games on free-to-air network TV, and online sports gambling companies, as the cable companies push harder for sports gambling to be legalised in the US in order to help them replace those lost revenues.