On the Media: ESPN can't just bigfoot its way into local markets

Perhaps ESPN will one day dominate metro and community sports news the way it does the national sports universe. But it won't get there simply by showing up and announcing its arrival.

The recent dispute involved a high school football telecast. But the all-sports network may face similar challenges as it plunges into local sports coverage online. It can't just show up - as it has in Los Angeles and four other cities in the last year - and expect to earn a permanent and meaningful foothold in these local markets. The ESPN brand carries a lot of weight and has been a powerful revenue engine for its parent Walt Disney Co. But it remains far from certain whether the expansion into metropolitan markets around America, announced about a year ago, will snatch huge chunks of the audience from established local outlets.