It’s a delicate balance between personal brand and honoring the employer you work for. Especially when it comes to social media. Late last week, as the ESPN carriage dispute with YouTube TV was officially underway, you saw something on social media that you typically never see unless under dire circumstances.
ESPN personalities were posting company-written and -produced messages to sway their personal social followings on how they should perceive the ESPN product going dark on YouTube TV. It’s a common practice ESPN has employed before. In fact, around the same time last year during The Walt Disney Company’s battle with DirecTV.
In an age where image is everything, a single post won’t severely damage a personality’s reputation with the consumer forever. However, what it does is put a face on the battle itself — one that personalities should always consider before being the good soldier.
I’ve worked for a few broadcast companies in my day. They never owned nor operated my personal social media accounts. However, there was a balance of understanding that the platform I represented did bring me some following. The thought process was that my employer hired me to produce content that I post and that is shared on the employer’s social accounts.
A simple tit for tat, if you will.
Inserting A Personal Touch
However, there were those rare instances involving messaging for a greater cause. I recall the push for AM stations to urge their listeners to contact their representatives to save AM radio in cars. While the message was about keeping AM radio in your car, the ask wasn’t so subtle.
It was mandatory — no questions asked. We posted on personal and branded social accounts, ran extra spots in unsold inventory, and even did live reads from talent in segments to push the message out. The cause was right; the result mattered to how people consumed products for the public service it provided.
Saving AM radios in cars didn’t cost consumers an added penny, and it was a no-brainer to amplify the message online.
What’s going on between The Walt Disney Company and YouTube TV is much different. Two multibillion-dollar companies in a stranglehold over fees paid out to ESPN for their content to be housed on YouTube TV. While there is a much larger play here regarding the future of live sports. Let’s focus on the simple aspect of messaging.
Putting Faces Into The Blame Game
When Disney’s programming went dark on YouTube TV and its millions of subscribers, there was no face to the battle. Only public statements were made. But plenty of online chatter surrounded the disappointment of not being able to enjoy the products that subscribers pay for.
The blackout impacted Monday Night Football, NBA games, college football, and many other Disney programs across its channels. With the college basketball season starting this week, that will also be affected. Even though much of the sport’s regular season is insignificant.
ESPN then put a face to the battle by placing its top talent in the arena with messaging that all read the same. It contained statements about missing out on your favorite NFL and NBA games on ESPN and ABC — with no mention of any ESPN programs the network produces featuring stars like Mike Greenberg, Stephen A. Smith, Scott Van Pelt, and Stanford Steve.
While it was cringeworthy to watch these forced messages being read by the faces of the network itself, it pushed followers to KeepMyNetworks.com for further information.
What is the greater cause here?
Is it ESPN, which just rolled out its new direct-to-consumer app knowing there would be a carriage dispute coming in the months ahead? Is it YouTube TV, which is positioning itself as asking for a fair deal when the monthly price for the consumer leapt another ten dollars less than a year ago?
Does premier content cost more than ever for networks to secure? Yes.
Do distribution services have to potentially pay a higher rate because of this? Yes.
Who will this ultimately cost the most in the end? The consumer.
There is no greater cause in this battle between Disney and YouTube TV. There is no way for the consumer to benefit from two behemoths in the content industry jabbing at one another over more money than most sports fans will ever see in their lifetime.
SMH
Sports fans are upset, and rightfully so. They depend on networks and distributors to work together to get the most people watching so everyone benefits. This isn’t about shifting blame to lure favor with the sports fan — and that’s why ESPN putting its personalities into the arena doesn’t help their personal brands nor the network’s messaging.
Public relations 101: always keep the star looking like the star. By putting the star in the lion’s den with already-upset consumers, it risks spoiling their personal brand.
No face should be put on messaging unless it serves the greater good of the consumer you serve. This carriage dispute doesn’t benefit anyone except ESPN and YouTube. The fans lose either way.
If ESPN gets a higher rate from YouTube TV, the cost comes back to the consumer.
If YouTube TV gets a fair deal, there could be less ESPN programming coming to the streaming platform — again upsetting the consumer.
ESPN and YouTube TV are both missing on the messaging, and poorly at that.
This standoff isn’t just about ESPN and YouTube TV — it’s a snapshot of the crossroads media is standing at. Personality-driven brands, corporate messaging, and consumer fatigue are colliding. How networks navigate that balance will define who still has an audience left to fight for.
Maybe the next time these giants square off, they’ll remember who’s actually holding the remote.
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John Mamola is the sports editor and columnist for Barrett Media. 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. Honored to be a five-time recognized top 20 program director in a major market via Barrett Media and honored internally multiple times as station/brand of the year (Tampa, FL) and employee of the month (Tampa, FL). Connect with John by email at John@BarrettMedia.com.
