From today’s New York Times story about ESPN spent all day bragging to the media about how they’re still the top dog in sports TV and how they’re not worried about budding competition:
Noting the strength of the ESPN brand among consumers – a handful of whom have actually named their children Espn over the years – Arthur Bulgrin, ESPN’s head of research, said, “Let’s face it. Ain’t nobody naming their kid Fox Sports 1.”
A Fox spokesman declined to comment.
I appear on NBC Sports Network a couple times a week. Our ratings are a fraction of that of ESPN’s and I doubt whether we even do as well as Fox Sports 1.
But I will say, based on what I know of everyone I work with, if one of our viewers was unhinged and shortsighted enough to name their kid “NBCSN,” we’d probably assist them in getting psychological help, not brag about it to media reporters.
And really, Fox spokesman: you totally blew a great opportunity there.