If the old ESPN ways were still growing the business they never would've tried to change. The fact is, times are irrevocably changing and a lot fewer young people watch cable even if it is streaming cable like Sling, Fubo or YoutubeTv.
I have three kids 19 to 26. Two, don't have TVs. The oldest, who does, mostly uses theirs for games. My kid who went to college last year refused to take his. Everything is on their phones. They are not going to watch a Sports News news show in any format. If they are interested, they can get the info as fast as they want at the attention span of a gnat pace that they prefer.