Dan Le Batard Show producer Mike Ryan didn’t hold back in his criticisms of ESPN’s questionable timing of releasing news involving San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan. Ryan accused ESPN of functioning as a mouthpiece for its own league partners.
What We Know: Ryan made the claims Tuesday, tying ESPN’s coverage to its stakes in the NFL, NBA and WWE. Moreover, he pointed to ESPN’s slow coverage of the Kawhi Leonard story involving Clippers owner Steve Balmer. Also last week’s exit of writer Andreas Hale following being critical of the WWE as examples. Also drawing scrutiny: ESPN broke the Kyle Shanahan crash news 11 days later, timed to training camp. In addition, Ryan argues this reflects a longstanding pattern, not a new one. However, even more magnified because of the network’s 10% stake given to the NFL in exchange for the NFL Network oversight.
What They Said: (All quotes via The Dan Le Batard Show)
Mike Ryan says ESPN is already a propaganda arm for the NFL: “They’ve already been kind of protecting the NFL for several years because this deal has been in the works for a very long time. They are full on propaganda arm. They are financially incentivized to keep that shield clean. I do think that in depth reporting on the NFL that paints it potentially in a negative light won’t be coming from ESPN anymore.”
Mike Ryan says ESPN’s handling of the Kawhi Leonard story is a prime example of being compromised by leagues: “Yes, they are financially incentivized to. There is a partnership there. There is equity there. We’re seeing it already with the NBA. They value these rights partnerships and their partnerships with these leagues. They’re not doing anything to advance the Kawhi [Leonard] story, and I think that’s in collaboration with the NBA.”
Mike Ryan says ESPN’s handling of laying off fight sport journalist Andreas Hale is another example of being compromised: “This is not new for ESPN. ESPN has a huge partnership that they overspent on with the WWE. There was one dude that was critical of the WWE on their website. Guess who’s no longer working for ESPN? That’s how these things happen,”
Mike Ryan has plenty of conflicts of interest with media rights partners: “ESPN’s conflicted at every corner in almost every sport that they have rights for. They own the CFP [College Football Playoffs]. Then they inflate one conference that they have the biggest financial stake in in the SEC. Top down, they are there are conflictions everywhere. There, there’s this is not a new thing with ESPN,”
Mike Ryan believes ESPN is no longer a destination for sports journalism: “They’re not going to be industry leaders in investigative reporting anymore. That is a bygone era, and I think it has in large part to do with the rights fees are the straw that serves a drink for that.”
What Remains Unclear: ESPN has not commented on Ryan’s claims. ESPN’s Adam Schefter said in response to critics of the handling of Shanahan’s accident news came during the “quietest part” of the NFL calendar. In addition, he then credited the 49ers for keeping the story under wraps.
What It Means: Ryan’s remarks land amid growing skepticism toward sports media’s independence. As rights fees climb, leagues could gain more leverage over networks that cover them. Moreover, that leverage, critics argue, increasingly shapes what does and doesn’t get reported. For now, Ryan’s comments add fuel to that debate. One that will likely continue until given reason not to.
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John Mamola is Barrett Media’s sports editor and daily sports columnist. He brings over two decades of experience (Chicago, Tampa/St Petersburg) in the broadcast industry with expertise in brand management, sales, promotions, producing, imaging, hosting, talent coaching, talent development, web development, social media strategy and design, video production, creative writing, partnership building, communication/networking with a long track record of growth and success. He is a five-time recognized top 20 program director in a major market via Barrett Medi’s Top 20 series and has been honored internally multiple times as station/brand of the year (Tampa, FL) and employee of the month (Tampa, FL) by iHeartMedia. Connect with John by email at John@BarrettMedia.com.