Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Is ESPN the Insider Worth $40 a Year?

I'm not so sure any more.

What you get is a subscription to ESPN the Magazine, which is good, even if the layout confounds me and the print type is for people who aren't middle-aged. You're also supposed to get "inside" stuff on the website, and that's where it's lagging.

The "Rumor Central" part contains few rumors any more (you probably do better on the NBA at Hoops Hype than in this junction), and the NFL draft updates from the likes of Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay also are stale. The last posts? In mid-December. There are good databases if you're a recruiting junkie, but on many prospects other than the elite ones there's little or no information (in other words, you might be able to do better elsewhere). Yes, there are blogs and chat posts, but I'm wondering aloud if any of you subscribe, how frequently you go there, and whether you think it's worth the fee and, if you don't think it is, where, sports-wise, would you instead spend your money.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I gave up on ESPN Insider almost 2 years ago because I thought it wasn't worth it then.

From your description of what it has become, I am even more certain I made the correct decision.