Arizona State underwhelms in unwatchable streaming mess of an opener
The start of the college football season for ASU was almost as choppy as the ESPN+ broadcast of the game.
Watch: State of the Sun Devils: Previewing Arizona State's offense ahead of the college football season | 22 mins
College football is off to a roaring start. Alas, that does not include the debut of Arizona State’s surging program.
The most anticipated curtain lifting in recent Valley history turned into an unwatchable streaming mess. On a Saturday night when gridlock spoke to a real uprising in Tempe and Mountain America Stadium exceeded seating capacity, the 11th ranked Sun Devils went dark.
They were effectively blacked out in their own television market.
The outrage was palpable. Cam Skattebo was angry that ASU was relegated to ESPN+, a standalone streaming service. Those who purchased access were highly agitated at the production: a broken feed that alternated between black screen and pixelated blur. And yet the commercials aired without a glitch.
Maybe it’s better this way.
Those in attendance watched ASU underwhelm after jumping out to a 14-0 lead.
The Sun Devils were never really threatened, but they were sloppy (12 penalties) and stagnant and the final score (38-19) was far closer than anticipated. Afterward, Kenny Dillingham took the blame for being outcoached, adding that the experience will provide many valuable teaching moments that usually come with disappointing victories.
But ESPN’s transmission failure on Saturday night is an ominous sign of the times.
Televised sports once belonged to the whole community. There was an implicit agreement in place. Those that distributed sports content understood the value of easy access, and that inviting a community delivered immense long-term value. Teams and sports franchises understood they were a public trust, beholden to the goodwill of their fan base.
They could charge us into the realm of obscenity for tickets, hot dogs and parking. But the games would remain available for everyone.
Back then, being a sports fan was as easy as turning on the television.
Now, sports are no longer dedicated to being a great unifier.
We are divided and segmented by our willingness and ability to pay and it’s tearing at the very sense of community that makes the whole thing so great.
A recent essay in The New York Times framed the fading middle class and our declining shared experiences through the prism of a Disney vacation. How an entertainment park that once famously delivered the same glorious experience to all of its customers has now become centered around the wealthy, those who have no qualms with paying extra.
It reports that from 2021-2024, Disney raked in $724 million in “skip-the-line products,” and how those who stay at posh Disney resorts earn preferred status.
The same thing is happening in sports, where the immense monetary value of individual games is being mined for every last dollar, sold off to the highest bidders. It isn’t just ESPN+, which is owned by Disney.
The streaming wars are changing the landscape, and not for the better.
At least not for viewers, and the emotional cost goes well beyond the heavy financial implications of being a sports fan in 2025. When access disappears, so does the sense of community. And when the community disappears, so does the magic.
As for the 2025 Sun Devils: Let’s hope that Week 1 will be remembered as the only real glitch.
Reach Bickley at dbickley@arizonasports.com. Listen to Bickley & Marotta weekdays from 6 a.m. – 10 a.m. on 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station.
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Comments
17 Comments
Very few people are reading and commenting since you cancelled everyones accounts.
Audacious hypocrisy from Bickley when the company he works for has neutered its comment section, effectively muzzling its fans. I log on to Arizona Sports exclusively for fan commentary, not the blowhards who ping-pong from one outlier opinion to the next. The mobile app doesn’t even show comments or allow comments any longer. Take that to management Bick, otherwise, you're just a hot pot calling the kettle black.
I've thought Bickley to be a first rate doofus for years. A face for radio and a voice for print. But I agree with him on this one. Organizations (NCAA, NFL....) need to decide which is more valuable; a large fanbase or big dollars. I understand the lure of cashing in now by charging more for those willing and able to pay higher prices. But will it shrink the fanbase and therefore the sport itself in the future. If it becomes too expensive to take your children to games do the children become fans? And if those children can't even watch the game on TV it becomes even more remote. (Though listening to radio broadcasts can be delightful!)
As for the Devils performance? Yes, sloppy. That's why NAU is your first opponent - you can show up in the wrong mindset and still win. ASU has loads of talent on the roster with the ability to win and win and win. It will require more hunger than I saw at Sun Devil Stadium (I won't sell out) on Saturday night.