ESPN Unveils Significant, Clutter-Free Redesign Of ESPN.com

New York Times:

ESPN.COM is counting on less clutter and more advertising options to bolster revenue at a time when its sister cable channels are battling rare weakness.

ESPN, the Walt Disney Company's sports media behemoth, is unveiling Tuesday a substantial redesign of its primary Web portal in a test form, with a formal introduction planned for Jan. 5.

About a year in the making, the overhaul represents at least one significant shift in strategy. Instead of inundating visitors with its intense coverage of every major sport from the get-go -- something that the company now believes can drive away certain fans -- ESPN.com is moving in a less-is-more direction, at least on the home page.

"If we are frustrating people, they're not going to spend as much time as we want on the site," said John Skipper, ESPN's executive vice president for content. "There can be a thing as too much."

Read the whole story: New York Times

Comments

[TurtleGuy]

If you are a linux user, that site can be a nightmare to navigate. If you can even navigate it, most of the time it just crashes Firefox.

[Eyewideopen]

Where is the story on the murder of a black highschool football player by Mississippi police officers?????????

[305Rider]

Hopefully on Outside the Lines.

[sherrzinpa]

Maybe if the popups would stop getting past my popup blocker on that site too, I'd visit it more.

[Bill D Catt]

That, and the a/v clips that play automatically. I don't want to hear SportCenter for the 300th time.

[sherrzinpa]

Heh I actually like that though because in my area I can't get Comcast unless I get an upgrade on my digital cable... It does get annoying though that it's on auto play.