Updated throughout the day with quick takes from staff.
Versus is not a serious rival to ESPN in any sense save one: they have managed to scope out a demographic ESPN used to dominate, the all- important "things you didn't know you'd actually watch on tv, but here you are watching bull-riding, cycling, off-market MMA, and even that late Pac-10 game after all the other college football peters out on the WWL. This is something ESPN used to do quite well with things like the World's Strongest Man Competition, the Great Outdoor Games and even the original World Series of Poker. You know, back when it was at Binion's, and some of the players looked like they'd just been let out of the Clark County drunk tank.
That ESPN, the ESPN of your late-night boredom, is now slowly migrating over to Versus bit by bit thanks to ESPN's maximalist tendencies. Pressed to develop "personalities" through shows like Around the Horn and to deliver full overkill on their big events (see the luxurious pre-game shows for both college and professional football), the schedule once full of blank holes filled by ridiculous things like the WSM are now not only filled on the Worldwide Leader, but on ESPN2 as well. As odd as this may sound, part of the charm of vintage ESPN were these half-assed but charming gaps in the schedule, often filled with arcane filler like poker that became premier entertainment in its own right. Good for them: ESPN did a fine job growing it into the beast it is today, and nourishes it well.
The hunger for the new has not faded, though, and what the new requires is empty space. See Versus, which has ample room on their schedule to let bizarre, interesting new programming succeed or fail. (To wit: they have the Versus Whitetail Challenge on for something like four hours today. I know there's a deer overpopulation problem, but at this rate Versus will solve it single-handedly.) If Versus recognizes the gap in the wall ESPN has built around professional sport, it's in the field of up and coming sports, no matter how strange the sport might seem. ESPN is largely out of the original sport content creation business, and this is where Versus comes in. Living with an apex predator like ESPN, the rationale is simple: they can only eat so much content at a time, and really no longer create it. Versus literally has to outbreed the Worldwide Leader by offering what ESPN can no longer squeeze in, and do it fast enough to continue carving out their own little patch in a crowded landscape.
They can't overtake ESPN, at least not this generation. They can, however, be something ESPN can't be: focused. Stuck with a zillion networks and an extremely corporate management style (read: ponderous and slow), ESPN can't experiment with the speed or freedom Versus can. Versus has one shop, and they're tiny but free to play around. In fact, they should: innovation is their only hope to stay competitive, since most of the major sports are already tied up with contracts and relationships with others. You didn't think you'd be watching poker on television 15 years ago, but here you are. If Versus is successful, you'll be saying the same thing about something they find and build from nothing 10 years down the road. In my dreams, we'll all be watching boat-trailer racing on Versus in this scenario, but that's just me.
This post originally appeared on the Sporting Blog. For more, see The Sporting Blog Archives.
10 comments
Comments
Y’know, Spencer, I figured in your dream we’d all be watching Aussie Rules Football on Versus. That’s what’s in mine, anyway…
by permanent4 on Jul 31, 2009 5:03 PM EDT reply actions
“off-market MMA”? Versus carries WEC, which is a very stable organization owned by Zuffa, which also owns UFC, and WEC is basically turning into the UFC for the lighter weight classes. And it’s definitely not in the same category with World’s Strongest Man or anything like that. They’re not carrying KOTC or NAAFS or something like that, WEC is mainstream MMA, not off-market…
As for competing with ESPN, you’re definitely right…we have at least 6 ESPN channels on our cable lineup here (our provider is CableOne) yet no Versus Network. The funny thing is, other than ESPN News I’d definitely spend more time watching Versus over ESPN networks due to their MMA coverage (something ESPN is so far only willing to do on their Spanish language station and in the UK). I’ve emailed requests for it to be added and finally received a response that numerous requests have been received and they’re looking into it. There’s definitely a demand for it though, probably mostly due to hockey and WEC. The fact that they’re not as widely available on cable systems as ESPN means they aren’t even on the same playing field with the sporting giant yet.
by ModMind.tsn on Aug 1, 2009 11:49 AM EDT reply actions
One of the TSB ESPN nuthuggers does it again! Good job, Spencer Hall, because this blog just guaranteed you another year of writing for The Sporting Blog – mainly because it’ll be difficult for you to get a paying job.
by ohiostate1016 on Aug 1, 2009 3:18 PM EDT reply actions
@ohiostate1016: You’ll have to explain to me again how Spencer saying Versus has usurped ESPN qualifies as him being an "ESPN nuthugger." And feel free to point out these other instances, since you said we did it "again."
by littmann.tsn on Aug 1, 2009 4:15 PM EDT reply actions
Littman – Every time you guys try to talk anything even remotely MMA-based, you never fail to disrespect a very respectful sport. Instead of maybe talking about how UFC 100 outdrew both boxing and soccer in Mexico, you call the WEC "off-market MMA" and you attempt to make fun of Jay Glazer training football players in MMA. If you really want a full list, then visit the All MMA, All the Time thread in the Penalty Box. They’re all linked on there.
by ohiostate1016 on Aug 3, 2009 10:23 AM EDT reply actions
I made fun of Jay Glazer training NFL players in MMA? No. I actually thought it was pretty cool. If you took LSUFreek’s GIF as a jab at MMA, you totally missed the point. We were laughing at the thought of Patrick Willis getting into the ring/Octagon with Matt Leinart because it’d be such a blood bath. You sound like you’ve got a complex about MMA being disrespected as a sport, but is the statement of WEC being called "off-market MMA" really that offbase? Anything that isn’t UFC is second-best at the moment when it comes to noteriety.
by littmann.tsn on Aug 3, 2009 11:05 AM EDT reply actions
TSN SB ignore these guys. They have an SICK obsession w/ MMA and if anyone mentions it other than saying it the greatest thing in the world they strike out.
UFC 100 outdrew Boxing and Soccer really? Boxing had 3 seperate cards to name just of few off the top of my head on that Sat and drew a combined 30,000 in Fla,N.J. and Mexico UFC had 11,000 in L.V. So it outdrew Boxing how? You guys seriously need to get a life badgering these guys to mention MMA then when they do you attack em. Then they just make a joke using MMA as punchline and you TROLLS freak. It kinda disturbing!
by cpd3577 on Aug 3, 2009 12:56 PM EDT reply actions
You’ve hit upon my biggest beef with ESPN. You mean to tell me that on a Saturday afternoon there is NOTHING ESPN could show aside from WSoP REPLAYS? Seriously? Can we all please come to an agreement that watching poker is boring? Playing poker = fun. Watching poker = cure for insomnia. Watching OLD power = stupid. Versus at least puts SPORTS on their SPORTS NETWORK.
ModMind is right that WEC isn’t really "off-brand" (check out local cable for that action) to MMA afficianados. In the sense that anything not branded UFS is off-brand to the general sporting public, it’s probably accurate. Just FYI, it’s the biggest U.S. MMA brand aside from the UFC (au revoir, Affliction) and, as Mod said, is owned by the same group.
by bumgilseo on Aug 3, 2009 12:57 PM EDT reply actions
@Littman, just because it isn’t the top brand doesn’t mean it’s off-market. Yes, the UFC is #1, but WEC and Strikeforce are the other two major organizations in MMA at this point in the US. Anything other than those 3 could be considered off-brand, but WEC has a deal to air live events on Versus and Strikeforce has virtually taken over EliteXC’s deal with Showtime and possibly CBS in the future. That’s not off-market.
As far as ohiostate’s attitude about MMA coverage here, he has a point when these non-news items are all that’s covered. I know there’s coverage coming in a big way soon, but in the meantime wouldn’t it make sense to mention the fact that Fedor Emelianenko just signed with Strikeforce, which is huge news compared to Patrick Willis doing some MMA training on the side with Jay Glazer?
@cpd, actually substitute in the word "boxing" in place of MMA and you would be talking about yourself. And I called it on one of our blogs when I said you wouldn’t believe MMA outdid boxing in Mexico. UFC100 did a 13.30 rating on TV in Mexico, surpassing boxing and soccer events airing opposite it. As for what you’re saying about us "freaking out" on here, your sport of boxing gets excellent coverage on this blog from Large, but if it was reversed and all that TSB did was make fun of boxing or say that it’s dying I’d put money on you freaking out in a much bigger way: arguments that make no sense, calling everyone who doesn’t agree idiots and so on.
by ModMind.tsn on Aug 4, 2009 11:10 AM EDT reply actions
I don’t take much offense to calling the WEC "off-brand". To the general public, it is. Sometimes we follow our sport so closely we don’t always see the sport the same way the general public does. And that is ok too.
But I think ohiostate’s sentiment comes from some place as mine. When the only coverage I see on MMA on the site is jokes or attempts that come across as making fun of the sport or the athletes, it is easy to get the feeling TSB is anti-MMA and we get defensive. Like I said I don’t have a problem necassarily with this piece but I have with others.
I look forward to the day when I see some real coverage of the sport…the fastest growing sport in the world…and yes cpd UFC100 did outdraw boxing and soccer in Mexico.
by wilcoxon on Aug 4, 2009 3:47 PM EDT reply actions
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