April 01, 2018
Faced with the challenges of subscriber losses from cable cord-cutting and the changing ways young consumers are watching sports, it seems almost quaint that ESPN's next big move is the launch of a new TV morning show.
ESPN makes a bid for morning TV ratings glory with Get Up!
But viewers looking for information and dependable companionship as they start the day are still a valuable commodity for advertisers — they spend $1 billion a year on the three broadcast network morning shows alone — which explains why ESPN is trying to get back in the game with "Get Up!" which debuts Monday at 7 a.m. Eastern.
The Walt Disney Co. unit needs programming that is habit-forming enough for viewers to stick with their pay TV subscriptions, which is why it has lined up big-name co-hosts Mike Greenberg, Michelle Beadle and Jalen Rose for "Get Up!," its first new program designed for the morning since its last attempt, "Cold Pizza," ended in 2007.
The competition has exploded in the last 11 years, as cable news has grown its morning audience and sports channels have entered the fray once dominated by NBC's "Today" and ABC's "Good Morning America." There are live morning shows on the NFL Network, the Golf Channel, Fox Sports 1 and CBS Sports Network, which shows a simulcast of WFAN radio's "The Morning Show with Boomer and Gio."
ESPN is making a significant investment in "Get Up!" at a time when it has tried to control costs to counter lost revenue from defecting cable subscribers. Greenberg, Beadle and Rose reportedly have deals for the new program that total $15 million a year.
The high salaries have generated some sniping on sports TV blogs that note how ESPN has laid off hundreds of employees in recent years. But Bill Wolff, vice president of studio production for ESPN, contends having established talent will give the program an advantage.
"We needed distinct personalities," he said.
The trio will hold court on the previous night's game results and the burning sports issues of the day in a shiny new 21,000-square-foot studio at the South Street Seaport in Manhattan, offering a panoramic view of the Brooklyn Bridge.
Greenberg already has a strong track record in the morning, having co-hosted ESPN Radio's "Mike & Mike In the Morning" with Mike Golic for 18 years. The program was simulcast on ESPN2 for most of that time and their banter was entertaining enough to land them guest spots on "Late Show with David Letterman."
Beadle has been an irreverent and outspoken long-time panelist on ESPN "SportsNation" and currently hosts the network's "NBA Countdown." Rose is a former NBA star and a studio analyst for ESPN's basketball coverage.
Based on rehearsal footage shared online, "Get Up!" does not appear to be remaking the morning show wheel, although Wolff and Connor Schell, ESPN's executive vice president of content, said it will evolve over time. With other sports options now available on morning TV, "Get Up!" needs its hosts to provide a compelling alternative.
"They are banking on 'our people are better than your people,'" said Brian Donlon, a veteran TV producer who created "Cold Pizza" for ESPN in 2003. "I think it's hard in this competitive environment. Their people are a plus for them, but you also need patience as morning habits change at a glacial pace." (ESPN gave up on "Cold Pizza" after 3 1/2 years.)
Donlon added that ESPN's decision to return to a morning show with a name and identity separate from its signature news program "SportsCenter" is the right move as the network tries to make itself more essential for fickle young viewers most likely to cut the cable cord.
Fans who want highlights in the morning can still catch "SportsCenter" on ESPN2, allowing "Get Up!" to be more driven by conversation and opinion, according to Schell.
As ESPN tries to shed the notion — stoked mostly by conservative critics — that it has become too political, co-host Greenberg has been assuring anyone who asks that the main focus of "Get Up!" will be sports. The words "President Trump" have yet to come up in any of the rehearsal shows.
"When people turn on ESPN, they have a right to expect for us to talk about sports," Greenberg said. "When I want to order pizza, I don't walk into a McDonald's."
Related Stories
Latest News
Top news around the world
Academy Awards

‘Oppenheimer’ Reigns at Oscars With Seven Wins, Including Best Picture and Director

Get the latest news about the 2024 Oscars, including nominations, winners, predictions and red carpet fashion at 96th Academy Awards

Around the World

Celebrity News

> Latest News in Media

Watch It
Ruby Franke’s Husband REVEALS Alleged Rules He Had to Follow at Home | E! News
March 28, 2024
_mU-3lE2QwI
#KenanThompson speaks out following the #QuietonSet documentary. (🎥: Tamron Hall Show) #shorts
March 28, 2024
8AGP-Gfw_Ek
King Charles Shares "Great Sadness" at Missing Royal Appearance | E! News
March 28, 2024
lyizFqf1kQY
Martha Reeves Walk of Fame Ceremony
March 27, 2024
QzyezumEPtQ
Eminem, 50 Cent & Snoop Dogg Present Dr. Dre with a Star on the Walk of Fame
March 19, 2024
4bNLs1hxVp8
Opening Remarks for the Variety Summit October 20th, 2023 Jay Penske
March 18, 2024
c6Z707iLq8E
Montell Jordan Dishes On Young MC Wedding, 'This Is How Date Night' Plans | TMZ
March 28, 2024
G3SMExj-qio
Davina Potratz Says TV Not Helping 'Selling Sunset' Relationship Woes | TMZ
March 28, 2024
D4piy4GNm4k
Logan Paul Rips Graham Bensinger Over Documentary, You Promised Apple TV+ | TMZ Live
March 28, 2024
NiSDpZhZklQ
Prince William pinned royal medal to Spice Girl Mel B’s boobs #shorts
March 28, 2024
O1cQ0UW9pco
Jennifer Garner shares ‘hard’ part of raising her and Ben Affleck’s kids
March 28, 2024
3Q7mZaVUdgc
50 Cent's ex Daphne Joy named as an alleged sex worker in Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs lawsuit #shorts
March 28, 2024
yhLFI8DG9rM
TV Schedule
Late Night Show
Watch the latest shows of U.S. top comedians

Sports

Latest sport results, news, videos, interviews and comments
Latest Events
28
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Playoffs - Women
PSG W - Hacken W
28
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Playoffs - Women
Barcelona W - SK Brann W
27
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Playoffs - Women
Chelsea W - Ajax W
27
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Playoffs - Women
Lyon W - SL Benfica W
17
Mar
SPAIN: La Liga
Atletico Madrid - Barcelona
17
Mar
ENGLAND: FA Cup
Manchester United - Liverpool
17
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
Inter Milan - Napoli
17
Mar
GERMANY: Bundesliga
Borussia Dortmund - Eintracht Frankfurt
17
Mar
ENGLAND: FA Cup
Chelsea - Leicester City
17
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
Roma - Sassuolo
17
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
Verona - AC Milan
17
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
Juventus - Genoa
16
Mar
GERMANY: Bundesliga
Darmstadt - Bayern Munich
16
Mar
ENGLAND: FA Cup
Manchester City - Newcastle United
16
Mar
ENGLAND: Premier League
Fulham - Tottenham Hotspur
16
Mar
SPAIN: La Liga
Osasuna - Real Madrid
13
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: 1/8 Final
Atletico Madrid - Inter Milan
12
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: 1/8 Final
Barcelona - Napoli
12
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: 1/8 Final
Arsenal - Porto
Find us on Instagram
at @feedimo to stay up to date with the latest.
Featured Video You Might Like
zWJ3MxW_HWA L1eLanNeZKg i1XRgbyUtOo -g9Qziqbif8 0vmRhiLHE2U JFCZUoa6MYE UfN5PCF5EUo 2PV55f3-UAg W3y9zuI_F64 -7qCxIccihU pQ9gcOoH9R8 g5MRDEXRk4k
Copyright © 2020 Feedimo. All Rights Reserved.