Both ESPN and the National Football League have been losing fans and revenue hand over fist, but despite the cascading failures both entities have offered executives huge contract renewals.
Last week news broke that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell was set to reel in big perks to re-up his contract leading the league. Among other perks, Goodell is asking for a $50 million per year salary and a private jet that he will be able to use for the rest of his life, according to sources speaking to Maxim magazine.
This is all on top of the big dollars he pulled in during previous years. In 2014, for instance, Goodell’s base salary was only $3.5 million. But he also reeled in $26.5 billion in bonuses and other benefits. Also, with all his perks added up, Goodell made a hefty $44 million in 2013. All total, Goodell has reportedly made $180.5 million since becoming NFL Commissioner in 2006.
Goodell asks for and receives all this largess, despite the massive loss of fans and ratings due to his lenient handling of the national anthem protests.
The situation is just as baffling at ESPN, perhaps even more so.
Disney has reportedly offered ESPN chief John Skipper a contract extension ahead of its expiration at the end of next year and uncharacteristically through the year 2021, according to Awful Announcing.
This despite multiple financial quarter reports citing ESPN as a major drag on Disney’s profit margins.
Skipper was also offered this new, long-term contract despite the steady loss of millions of subscribers, not to mention the recurring political controversies ESPN has suffered over the last several years.
With these two seemingly failing executives offered lucrative new contracts even in the face of massive losses that they had a hand in creating, it appears that neither ESPN nor the NFL cares anything at all about what their customers are telling them.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.