At the same time, however, there is some truth to the idea that conservatives have grown cold to the sports network. YouGov numbers show that ESPN impression scores among Republicans have dropped from around 32 in 2013 to just above 16 in 2017. Democrats, meanwhile, have kept a relatively stable view of the network during the same period.

A look at past events reveals what likely led to some of the more noticeable drops. In July, 2015, for instance, Caitlyn Jenner won the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage at the ESPY Awards. (While the 2015 ESPYs aired on ESPN sister network ABC, the award show has traditionally been broadcast on ESPN and is still linked with the sports network.) In April, 2016, ESPN fired former All-Star pitcher and on-air baseball analyst Curt Schilling for posting controversial content about transgender people on social media.