Posted on 3/03/126 by Colin Vassallo
Mark Shapiro, the President and Chief Operating Officer of
TKO Group, admitted yesterday that the ESPN Unlimited
pricing is hurting their fan base, but remains committed
especially knowing that ESPN Unlimited will soon be fully
integrated with all major cable and streaming companies.
Speaking at the annual Morgan Stanley Technology, Media &
Telecom Conference, Shapiro said they’re playing the “long
game” with ESPN, describing the streaming service as the
ultimate package for a sports fan.
He said that the situation will get better for them once
Dish, YouTube, and a few other operators fully integrate
their service for free.
Shapiro described the $29.99 monthly fee as “somewhat
prohibitive,” especially in today’s economy, and makes it
difficult for the low and middle income earners to afford.
“They have to get those deals done. Until they do, that will
affect our audience,” he said.
Shapiro said that they had a notable increase for the
Elimination Chamber compared to Wrestlepalooza and while
they’re not where they were a year ago with Netflix or
Peacock, numbers remain encouraging.