Comments on: Comments on 9945

Post number 9945

kirkaracha — Thu, 06 Sep 2001 20:55:18 -0800

ESPN teams up with MSN First the Justice Department folds, and now this: "ESPN.com's sports content will be uniquely integrated with MSN and will carry MSN branding and links throughout the ESPN.com site." Is it really a surprise? Will it really make a difference?

By: kirkaracha

kirkaracha — Thu, 06 Sep 2001 20:57:39 -0800

Ironically (at least Alanis Morrisette-ironically), the press release doesn't have MSN branding.

By: hincandenza

hincandenza — Thu, 06 Sep 2001 22:12:20 -0800

Yeah, in fact the "page2" section of ESPN is a humor section, with irreverent commentary, so when I saw the link was part of the /page2/ area I thought it was a joke... but nope! It's real- although so far, there's no difference I can see besides the MSN butterfly and toolbar up top now.

By: chicobangs

chicobangs — Thu, 06 Sep 2001 22:39:31 -0800

Give it a minute. They'll overhaul the look at some point to streamline it with the other products in the MSN Megaverse. By the way, isn't MSN already hooked up with NBC? While ESPN is an ABC protectorate? Might this indicate at all that there might be some kind of an MS-brokered merger between DisneyCapCitiesTimeWarnerABCetcetcetc and GENBCetcetcetc on the horizon somewheres?

By: dhartung

dhartung — Thu, 06 Sep 2001 23:36:56 -0800

This seems to be the latest order of the day in portals. CNN dropped myCNN and uses Netscape. The theory is probably that it's cheaper than running your own service, and you can always switch horses midstream if somebody's VCs unplug the RJ-45s.

By: aflakete

aflakete — Thu, 06 Sep 2001 23:54:58 -0800

As long as they don't drop (or lose) Hunter Thompson.