Cable customers pay $5.54 a month for ESPN whether they want it or not

Cable bundling, whereby we have to pay for channels we don't want to get ones that we do, hits us in the pocket harder than we realize.

Disney, owner of ESPN, has argued that without revenue from bundling "it would have to increase the monthly fee for viewers who want ESPN to about $15 a month." … As of now, ESPN programming is costing cable subscribers $5.54 a month. This figure can be compared to other sports networks costing subscribers just 75 cents per month, while other non-sports networks are around 28 cents per month.

ESPN is looking to combat these bundling issues with new technologies. With more and more consumers turning to second screens, the network is developing a "push button future".

It's testament to how backward and clueless these guys are that they look at iPhones and think "push button future". [Sports Networker via Ruben Bolling]