Editing ESPN (section)

===2000s===
Challenges began to appear in the 2000s. ESPN began to shed viewers, more than 10 million over a period of several years in the 2010s even while paying large sums of money for the broadcast rights to properties like the NFL, [[NBA]] and [[College Football Playoff]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/26/sports/espn-layoffs.html?_r=0|title=A Struggling ESPN Lays Off Many On-Air Personalities|date=April 26, 2017|author=Joe Drape and Brooks Barnes|periodical=The New York Times|access-date=April 26, 2017|archive-date=April 29, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170429112214/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/26/sports/espn-layoffs.html?_r=0|url-status=live}}</ref>

On April 26, 2017, approximately 100 ESPN employees were notified that their positions with the sports network had been terminated, among them athletes-turned-analysts [[Trent Dilfer]] and [[Danny Kanell]], and noted journalists like [[NFL]] [[Beat reporting|beat reporter]] [[Ed Werder]] and [[Major League Baseball]] expert [[Jayson Stark]].<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.si.com/tech-media/2017/04/26/espn-layoffs-firings-list-details|title=ESPN layoffs: Firings list, details on state at network &#124; SI.com|date=April 26, 2017|author=Richard Deitsch|magazine=Sports Illustrated|access-date=October 28, 2017|archive-date=August 30, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170830170536/https://www.si.com/tech-media/2017/04/26/espn-layoffs-firings-list-details|url-status=live}}</ref> Further cost-cutting measures taken included moving the studio operations of [[ESPNU]] to Bristol from [[Charlotte, North Carolina]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/business/article146919714.html|title=ESPN layoffs hit Charlotte offices|date=April 26, 2017|author=Katherine Peralta|periodical=The Charlotte Observer|access-date=April 27, 2017|archive-date=April 26, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170426235610/http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/business/article146919714.html|url-status=live}}</ref> reducing its longtime MLB studio show ''[[Baseball Tonight (MLB)|Baseball Tonight]]'' to Sundays as a lead-in to the [[Sunday Night Baseball|primetime game]] and adding the [[MLB Network]]-produced ''[[Intentional Talk]]'' to [[ESPN2]]'s daily lineup.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://awfulannouncing.com/espn/espn-layoffs-baseball-tonight-intentional-talk.html|title=ESPN cutting Baseball Tonight to Sundays only, partnering with MLB Network on Intentional Talk|date=April 27, 2017|author=Ian Casselberry|periodical=Awful Announcing|access-date=April 27, 2017|archive-date=April 28, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170428142546/http://awfulannouncing.com/espn/espn-layoffs-baseball-tonight-intentional-talk.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

On April 12, 2018, ESPN began a supplemental [[over-the-top content|over-the-top]] streaming service known as [[ESPN+]].<ref name="verge-espnplusapril">{{cite news|url=https://www.theverge.com/2018/4/2/17188752/espn-plus-launching-april-12th-pricing-features-content|title=ESPN+ will launch on April 12th for $4.99 per month|work=The Verge|access-date=April 3, 2018|archive-date=April 2, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180402224831/https://www.theverge.com/2018/4/2/17188752/espn-plus-launching-april-12th-pricing-features-content|url-status=live}}</ref>

After having last carried national-televised [[National Hockey League|NHL]] games in 2004, ESPN and ABC agreed in March 2021 on a seven-year contract to televise games, with some airing on [[ESPN+]] and [[Hulu]]. The contract also awarded four of the seven Stanley Cup Finals to both ESPN and ABC. All other nationally televised games would air on [[TBS (American TV channel)|TBS]] and [[TNT (American TV network)|TNT]] under a separate deal the league struck with [[Turner Sports]] the following month.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hayes |first1=Dade |last2=Pedersen |first2=Erik |title=Turner & NHL Ice Seven-Year Rights Deal Including Some Playoff & Stanley Cup Final Games, HBO Max |url=https://deadline.com/2021/04/turner-looks-to-skate-in-on-nhl-rights-after-nbcuniversal-bails-will-pucks-fly-on-hbo-max-1234744602/ |website=Deadline |access-date=April 27, 2021 |date=April 27, 2021 |archive-date=May 18, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210518175909/https://deadline.com/2021/04/turner-looks-to-skate-in-on-nhl-rights-after-nbcuniversal-bails-will-pucks-fly-on-hbo-max-1234744602/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

On August 8, 2023, ESPN and [[Penn Entertainment]] announced a deal to brand Penn's sportsbooks with ESPN branding. Penn's existing Barstool Sportsbook would be rebranded as [[ESPN Bet]] in late-2023.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Manzo |first1=John R. |title=ESPN to Launch ESPN BET in a New Agreement with PENN Entertainment |url=https://espnpressroom.com/us/press-releases/2023/08/espn-to-launch-espn-bet-in-a-new-agreement-with-penn-entertainment/ |website=ESPN Press Room U.S. |access-date=August 8, 2023 |date=August 8, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Weprin |first1=Alex |title=ESPN Inks $2B Deal for Gambling Venture With Penn Entertainment |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/digital/espn-bet-sportsbook-penn-entertainment-barstool-sold-1235559140/ |website=The Hollywood Reporter |access-date=August 8, 2023 |date=August 8, 2023}}</ref>

On February 6, 2024, ESPN announced a joint venture with [[Fox Sports (United States)|Fox Sports]] and [[TNT Sports (United States)|TNT Sports]] known as [[Venu Sports]], including the three organizations' main linear sports channels and associated media rights. It was originally planned to launch in fall 2024.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/06/business/espn-fox-warner-sports-streaming.html|title=Disney, Fox and Warner Bros. Join Forces for Sports Streaming Service|first1=Benjamin|last1=Mullin|first2=Kevin|last2=Draper|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=February 6, 2024|access-date=February 7, 2024}}</ref> However, following legal issues (including an antitrust lawsuit by [[FuboTV]]), the service was ultimately cancelled.<ref name=THR2025>{{Cite web |last=Weprin |first=Alex |date=January 10, 2025 |title=Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery and Fox Pull the Plug on Venu Sports Streaming Venture |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/venu-sports-dead-streaming-service-pulled-before-launch-1236106145/ |access-date=January 10, 2025|website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2024/02/disney-espn-streaming-launch-date-bob-iger-1235818372/|title=Disney Reveals Timing Of ESPN Stand-Alone Streaming Launch|first=Dade|last=Hayes|work=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|date=February 7, 2024|access-date=February 8, 2024}}</ref> In May 2025, ESPN announced that it would officially launch an ESPN-branded direct-to-consumer product later that year, which will incorporate ESPN's main channels and content from ESPN+, and become the main streaming offering for all ESPN subscribers.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Steinberg |first=Brian |date=2025-05-13 |title=ESPN’s New $29.99 Per Month Streaming Service to Launch in Fall |url=https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/espn-launch-29-99-per-month-streaming-service-1236395311/ |access-date=2025-05-13 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref>