That one sentence was all your needed to hit the nail on the head.
Millenials aren't interested in anything that does not offer instant gratification and guaranteed success.Disney is a well run, notirioulsy cost aversive company who make cuts far before most companies would and stay highly profitiable because of its financial thumbscrews. In part, this about saturation: at some point it becomes so much money to get these rights that it exceeds profits. However, if we can accept play by play from thousands of miles away and other cost cutting, ESPN could actually see better profits. Yes, the big teams gettng their one channels, etc. and some cord cutting and the leagues allowing access to games via internet/mobile device all have some affect to such games no longer being truly exclusive and ONLY on ESPN or other tradiditonal TV channels, and that hurts the value of the games to entities like ESPN with losing viewers as one effect.
But, I wonder: it seems to me that the Mellinials aren't very interested in watching sports as previous generations. This and subsequent generations seem to spend more time on video games and at ComiCON and Anamie conventions than following any of the major or college sports. Is the market for sports broadcasting shrinnking because of changing interests for the younger generation? Or is it, perhaps, just the WRONG sports because it seems soccor/football is increasing in popularaity in the US and NOT among immigrants, but from those born in the USA with generations before it born in the USA, as well. These new fans of soccor did play it as kids, but often did not follow up playing other more tradtional sports at USA junior and high schools.
I just think the times are a changing and Disney is smart to rein in the costs far before it is too late. If we all live another 30 years, we may not recognize this planet at all.
As far as I am concerned, Millenials are by far the most egotistical, narcissistic generation to come along in the last 50 years. That said....They cannot be counted on for anything..
I read a story on the site "fiercewireless.com" that the newest Samsung smartphone ( Galaxy 6 and 6 note) showed declining sales. The reason offered by the story was that "the phone had no real innovations"..In other words even though the 6 is a more reliable and stronger version of the 5, it lacks bells and whistles. Apparently this is what appeals to millenials.
BTW, millenials are not interest just in sports programming. They show little interest in TV at all. And forget commercial tv....Millenials record everything they watch . Or they use such services as netflix. Not that there is anything wrong with that....