Changes

'''ESPN''', which stands for '''Entertainment and Sports Programming Network''', is a sports network owned by [[Disney]] since the latter purchased it in 1996. The network began in 1979 and covers sports news and programming 24 hours a day, although sometimes the network covers other events such as spelling bees and [[chess]].

'''ESPN''', which stands for '''Entertainment and Sports Programming Network''', is a sports network owned by [[Disney]] since the latter purchased it in 1996. The network began in 1979 and covers sports news and programming 24 hours a day, although sometimes the network covers other events such as spelling bees and [[chess]].

ESPN has spent many billions of dollars in exclusive sports broadcasting rights, such as spending $1.9 billion a year to broadcast [[NFL]] Monday Night Football.  ESPN's revenue is based on subscriber fees (about $6.61 per month) plus advertising.  But in the past two years, 7 million subscribers (nearly 10% of its overall subscription level, which as of 2015 is about 92 million homes) have cancelled their subscriptions.<ref>http://www.marketwatch.com/story/disney-is-losing-espn-subscribers-by-the-millions-2015-11-26</ref> The reason was suspected to be because ESPN was gradually pushing a more hard-left political agenda by its commentators (to such an extent that it earned the nickname of "the [[MSNBC]] of sports"<ref name="100 on-air employees laid off">http://canadafreepress.com/article/espn-to-fire-more-than-100-on-air-employees-today</ref>), with it later being confirmed to be the case by ''SportsCenter'' anchor Linda Cohn.<ref>http://www.dailywire.com/news/15835/espn-anchor-admits-network-failing-because-hank-berrien?utm_source=dwemail&utm_medium=email&utm_content=042817-news&utm_campaign=position1</ref> As a result of this, in April 2017, Jim Miller estimated that at least 40-50 layoffs were going to occur in the future,<ref>http://www.breitbart.com/sports/2017/03/31/chickens-come-home-to-roost-massive-layoffs-predicted-for-espn-broadcasters/</ref> With it being revealed later that it was actually going to be more than twice that estimate.<ref name="100 on-air employees laid off" />  

ESPN has spent many billions of dollars in exclusive sports broadcasting rights, such as spending $1.9 billion a year to broadcast [[NFL]] Monday Night Football.  ESPN's revenue is based on subscriber fees (about $6.61 per month) plus advertising.  But in the past two years, 7 million subscribers (nearly 10% of its overall subscription level, which as of 2015 is about 92 million homes) have cancelled their subscriptions.<ref>http://www.marketwatch.com/story/disney-is-losing-espn-subscribers-by-the-millions-2015-11-26</ref> The reason was suspected to be because ESPN was gradually pushing a more hard-left political agenda by its commentators (to such an extent that it earned the nickname of "the [[MSNBC]] of sports"<ref name="100 on-air employees laid off">http://canadafreepress.com/article/espn-to-fire-more-than-100-on-air-employees-today</ref>), with it later being confirmed to be the case by ''SportsCenter'' anchor Linda Cohn.<ref>http://www.dailywire.com/news/15835/espn-anchor-admits-network-failing-because-hank-berrien?utm_source=dwemail&utm_medium=email&utm_content=042817-news&utm_campaign=position1</ref> As a result of this, in April 2017, Jim Miller estimated that at least 40-50 layoffs were going to occur in the future,<ref>http://www.breitbart.com/sports/2017/03/31/chickens-come-home-to-roost-massive-layoffs-predicted-for-espn-broadcasters/</ref> with it being revealed later that it was actually going to be more than twice that estimate.<ref name="100 on-air employees laid off" />  

==References==

==References==