This. ESPN and all of the regional sports networks are on the brink because they refuse to give up the old cable model and offer a direct to consumer subscription option for their networks. There is zero technical reason why they can't do this other than that they are still in bed with the legacy cable companies.The major 'problem' with ESPN is that is to often structured as part of the basic cable package . Not as an independent 'add on'. Sports and 'so called news' networks drive basic cable prices way up. Go look at Philo which eschews both of those and compare the monthly costs differences.
That is part of the problem here. Is ESPN looking for a bigger monthly price package to deflect blow back from its high cost or are they really looking for a stand alone service with a stand alone value proposition. In the latter case, ESPN app with some mods should be sufficient. In the former case, Apple really doesn't have a big monthly payment bundle to hide inside of. Not for as big as ESPN likely will be. So a bad place to be looking for non ESPN viewers to help subsidize the high costs of ESPN by paying for stuff they aren't going to watch.
Making money solely because your network is trojan horsed into every cable household is no longer viable, with the dwindling cable/sat subscribers.