A Good Company (Facing Challenges...)
Pros
In almost all aspects, the company seeks to deliver very high quality solutions and services including areas like studio/production, digital media offerings and the back-end technology stack. That translates into opportunities to work with bleeding edge technology with very bright people. Additionally, the company culture defines itself as nimble and entrepreneurial at the core with a focus on technology to stay ahead of the game. As a result, working at ESPN can be both stimulating and challenging. However, things are changing....
Cons
The company is currently facing a number of challenges which are stressing the established (successful) operational model. The primary issue is the trending loss of subscribers across the cable industry and the difficulty monetizing digital media offerings. Altho the company remains hugely profitable, there is pressure (from the parent company) to reduce costs both in capital and expense categories. Add to that the ongoing turnover of most of the original senior management team and there is an unfortunate stew on the boil. The previous 3 years have generated multiple layoffs and changes at all levels of management which has spun off an ever-evolving org structure. With communication being a real challenge (as it is in most companies of any size), staff is left without a clear understanding of roles/responsibilities or strategic direction. You can imagine the resulting working environment...