The other problem I think ESPN has is that they've dumbed down their content a bit, in an appeal to the masses. Now hardcore sports fans are moving to other ve

The other problem I think ESPN has is that they've dumbed down their content a bit, in an appeal to the masses. Now hardcore sports fans are moving to other venues to follow sports because ESPN isn't what it used to be. Sports subreddits are a prime example of how hardcore fans are finding more focused and higher quality venues to follow sports. The comments on r/NFL or r/NBA seem to be of a much higher quality than those on espn.com. As you said, over time it means fans just use those sites as their sports portal rather than espn.com or Sportscenter.