Ben Koo
@bkoo.bsky.social
Owner and editor of @AwfulAnnouncing Recovering Silicon Valley startup guy. Fan of Buckeyes, A's, dogs, naps, tacos, and the old AOL dialup sounds.
Can't believe we're all here because Elon Musk's midlife crisis.
Can't believe we're all here because Elon Musk's midlife crisis.
Will never come around on Scott Hanson presenting as if a pick six is happening live AND doing his own play by play over Kevin Harlan’s call.
November 16, 2025 at 8:18 PM
Will never come around on Scott Hanson presenting as if a pick six is happening live AND doing his own play by play over Kevin Harlan’s call.
Frankly I thought Arby’s steak nuggets would have come and gone by now
November 16, 2025 at 2:47 AM
Frankly I thought Arby’s steak nuggets would have come and gone by now
Flipping from the Ohio State game (4k) to other games and yeah…
Will keep banging this drum.
Games are generally better on NBC because the picture is just so much better.
awfulannouncing.com/nbc/picture-...
Will keep banging this drum.
Games are generally better on NBC because the picture is just so much better.
awfulannouncing.com/nbc/picture-...
A plea to all networks: Please make your picture look as good as NBC
Last week, the NBA re-debuted on NBC to generally rave reviews thanks in part to a superior picture quality that makes other networks look like dog water.
awfulannouncing.com
November 16, 2025 at 2:11 AM
Flipping from the Ohio State game (4k) to other games and yeah…
Will keep banging this drum.
Games are generally better on NBC because the picture is just so much better.
awfulannouncing.com/nbc/picture-...
Will keep banging this drum.
Games are generally better on NBC because the picture is just so much better.
awfulannouncing.com/nbc/picture-...
Between flipping games, booze, substances, and just being spacey, I imagine a lot of people are continuing to have to take a few seconds to figure out which team is Oklahoma and which is Alabama.
November 15, 2025 at 10:52 PM
Between flipping games, booze, substances, and just being spacey, I imagine a lot of people are continuing to have to take a few seconds to figure out which team is Oklahoma and which is Alabama.
ABC has 3 of the 4 games with ranked teams facing off tomorrow.
BTN has the other.
Good time to plug my article on the meeting that led to the creation of BTN and the domino that led to colossal disruption, including the Big Ten's split from ESPN.
awfulannouncing.com/ncaa/conside...
BTN has the other.
Good time to plug my article on the meeting that led to the creation of BTN and the domino that led to colossal disruption, including the Big Ten's split from ESPN.
awfulannouncing.com/ncaa/conside...
November 14, 2025 at 8:10 PM
ABC has 3 of the 4 games with ranked teams facing off tomorrow.
BTN has the other.
Good time to plug my article on the meeting that led to the creation of BTN and the domino that led to colossal disruption, including the Big Ten's split from ESPN.
awfulannouncing.com/ncaa/conside...
BTN has the other.
Good time to plug my article on the meeting that led to the creation of BTN and the domino that led to colossal disruption, including the Big Ten's split from ESPN.
awfulannouncing.com/ncaa/conside...
I couldn't hold it in any longer.
November 14, 2025 at 7:08 PM
I couldn't hold it in any longer.
Really, the only relevant time to share this....
My dad's best man invented the navigable channel guide, got rich selling the company fraudulently to Rupert Murdoch, and then, as the walls of justice were closing in, wired himself millions overseas and has never been seen since.
My dad's best man invented the navigable channel guide, got rich selling the company fraudulently to Rupert Murdoch, and then, as the walls of justice were closing in, wired himself millions overseas and has never been seen since.
November 13, 2025 at 8:15 PM
Really, the only relevant time to share this....
My dad's best man invented the navigable channel guide, got rich selling the company fraudulently to Rupert Murdoch, and then, as the walls of justice were closing in, wired himself millions overseas and has never been seen since.
My dad's best man invented the navigable channel guide, got rich selling the company fraudulently to Rupert Murdoch, and then, as the walls of justice were closing in, wired himself millions overseas and has never been seen since.
Reposted by Ben Koo
The loss of channels having numbers means the art of channel flipping is dying.
Yes we get smaller remotes, but we also get more ads and are conditioned to accept carriage disputes and price hikes in the streaming era.
awfulannouncing.com/youtube/tv-s...
Yes we get smaller remotes, but we also get more ads and are conditioned to accept carriage disputes and price hikes in the streaming era.
awfulannouncing.com/youtube/tv-s...
'What channel is that on?' How YouTube TV and others are rewiring us for more ads, less choice
YouTube TV's channel guide doesn't include channel numbers, and the Disney dispute has made it pretty clear why that is now.
awfulannouncing.com
November 13, 2025 at 6:15 PM
The loss of channels having numbers means the art of channel flipping is dying.
Yes we get smaller remotes, but we also get more ads and are conditioned to accept carriage disputes and price hikes in the streaming era.
awfulannouncing.com/youtube/tv-s...
Yes we get smaller remotes, but we also get more ads and are conditioned to accept carriage disputes and price hikes in the streaming era.
awfulannouncing.com/youtube/tv-s...
Per Dan Dakich’s request we have updated this story
November 13, 2025 at 12:24 AM
Per Dan Dakich’s request we have updated this story
Replugging my article on how I miss channel numbers and how YoutubeTV has trapped us and made us more reliant on them versus traditional cable or satellite providers
November 12, 2025 at 10:56 PM
Replugging my article on how I miss channel numbers and how YoutubeTV has trapped us and made us more reliant on them versus traditional cable or satellite providers
BRING BACK CHANNEL NUMBERS!
I wrote about how YouTubeTV and others have rewired how we watch TV.
Without channel numbers, we don't flip as easily, which means more ads, reliance on algo based suggested tiles, and we don't realize when channels go dark.
awfulannouncing.com/youtube/tv-s...
I wrote about how YouTubeTV and others have rewired how we watch TV.
Without channel numbers, we don't flip as easily, which means more ads, reliance on algo based suggested tiles, and we don't realize when channels go dark.
awfulannouncing.com/youtube/tv-s...
November 12, 2025 at 8:16 PM
BRING BACK CHANNEL NUMBERS!
I wrote about how YouTubeTV and others have rewired how we watch TV.
Without channel numbers, we don't flip as easily, which means more ads, reliance on algo based suggested tiles, and we don't realize when channels go dark.
awfulannouncing.com/youtube/tv-s...
I wrote about how YouTubeTV and others have rewired how we watch TV.
Without channel numbers, we don't flip as easily, which means more ads, reliance on algo based suggested tiles, and we don't realize when channels go dark.
awfulannouncing.com/youtube/tv-s...
What do you think the paper towel usage percentage is between male and female partners?
November 12, 2025 at 5:17 PM
What do you think the paper towel usage percentage is between male and female partners?
Reposted by Ben Koo
Wrote about the hypocritical gymnastics involved with Pat McAfee's decision to bring Donald Trump on for Veteran's Day.
November 11, 2025 at 10:25 PM
Wrote about the hypocritical gymnastics involved with Pat McAfee's decision to bring Donald Trump on for Veteran's Day.
We did a poll. The Athletic did a poll. This is a third poll. All show the same thing.
People are siding with YoutubeTv and by a high margin.
Is that because of how they view the dispute or existing negativity about ESPN/Disney just carrying over.
Either way, not good!
People are siding with YoutubeTv and by a high margin.
Is that because of how they view the dispute or existing negativity about ESPN/Disney just carrying over.
Either way, not good!
November 11, 2025 at 12:21 AM
We did a poll. The Athletic did a poll. This is a third poll. All show the same thing.
People are siding with YoutubeTv and by a high margin.
Is that because of how they view the dispute or existing negativity about ESPN/Disney just carrying over.
Either way, not good!
People are siding with YoutubeTv and by a high margin.
Is that because of how they view the dispute or existing negativity about ESPN/Disney just carrying over.
Either way, not good!
This conference is addicted to short-term cash grabs, knowing that most people will move on by the time the long-term implications of these moves are felt.
I hope they walk way. Nobody wants this. Nobody needs this.
I hope they walk way. Nobody wants this. Nobody needs this.
November 10, 2025 at 5:46 PM
This conference is addicted to short-term cash grabs, knowing that most people will move on by the time the long-term implications of these moves are felt.
I hope they walk way. Nobody wants this. Nobody needs this.
I hope they walk way. Nobody wants this. Nobody needs this.
The Terry Crew Dodge Ram commercial with the now awkward Drew Allar NIL reference sucks and needs to just be put out to pasture.
November 10, 2025 at 12:06 AM
The Terry Crew Dodge Ram commercial with the now awkward Drew Allar NIL reference sucks and needs to just be put out to pasture.
Reposted by Ben Koo
I wonder if Kyler Murray ever thinks about how he could be in the prime of his arbitration years right now, making $5.4 million to play 81 games a year in Sacramento while batting in front of Jacob Wilson and Nick Kurtz
November 9, 2025 at 11:06 PM
I wonder if Kyler Murray ever thinks about how he could be in the prime of his arbitration years right now, making $5.4 million to play 81 games a year in Sacramento while batting in front of Jacob Wilson and Nick Kurtz
I am at a place where where I can say that Tom Brady is a better announcer than Troy Aikman.
Kudos to him. Took some work. Also Aikman IMO is regressing a little bit.
I was skeptical but it’s over the hump.
Kudos to him. Took some work. Also Aikman IMO is regressing a little bit.
I was skeptical but it’s over the hump.
November 9, 2025 at 10:50 PM
I am at a place where where I can say that Tom Brady is a better announcer than Troy Aikman.
Kudos to him. Took some work. Also Aikman IMO is regressing a little bit.
I was skeptical but it’s over the hump.
Kudos to him. Took some work. Also Aikman IMO is regressing a little bit.
I was skeptical but it’s over the hump.
The Facebook commercial where young people use it to plan going out the night before Thanksgiving is very good but these people simply do not realistically exist anymore
Facebook is for boomers mainlining misinformation and birthday reminders. No engagement from young people.
Facebook is for boomers mainlining misinformation and birthday reminders. No engagement from young people.
November 9, 2025 at 12:03 AM
The Facebook commercial where young people use it to plan going out the night before Thanksgiving is very good but these people simply do not realistically exist anymore
Facebook is for boomers mainlining misinformation and birthday reminders. No engagement from young people.
Facebook is for boomers mainlining misinformation and birthday reminders. No engagement from young people.
To each his own, but I’ll definitely take Jake Butt over Joel Klatt.
He’s been good enough and been doing this long enough that he’s outgrown BTN. Like Joshua Perry, he’ll get a call soon enough for bigger and better.
He’s been good enough and been doing this long enough that he’s outgrown BTN. Like Joshua Perry, he’ll get a call soon enough for bigger and better.
November 8, 2025 at 7:25 PM
To each his own, but I’ll definitely take Jake Butt over Joel Klatt.
He’s been good enough and been doing this long enough that he’s outgrown BTN. Like Joshua Perry, he’ll get a call soon enough for bigger and better.
He’s been good enough and been doing this long enough that he’s outgrown BTN. Like Joshua Perry, he’ll get a call soon enough for bigger and better.
The local casino here in Columbus is going to have to rebrand its sportsbook for a third time in four years.
November 6, 2025 at 9:56 PM
The local casino here in Columbus is going to have to rebrand its sportsbook for a third time in four years.
ESPN will push back against this, citing ratings data (and the business is more than fine)
That said, people don't love, like, or value the overall ESPN brand identity like they once did.
Some missteps + optimizing revenue over managing brand image.
awfulannouncing.com/espn/vibes-b...
That said, people don't love, like, or value the overall ESPN brand identity like they once did.
Some missteps + optimizing revenue over managing brand image.
awfulannouncing.com/espn/vibes-b...
The perception of ESPN is at an all-time low
ESPN is catching fire from everywhere at the moment. Has the sports fan lost trust in the Worldwide Leader in sports?
awfulannouncing.com
November 6, 2025 at 8:10 PM
ESPN will push back against this, citing ratings data (and the business is more than fine)
That said, people don't love, like, or value the overall ESPN brand identity like they once did.
Some missteps + optimizing revenue over managing brand image.
awfulannouncing.com/espn/vibes-b...
That said, people don't love, like, or value the overall ESPN brand identity like they once did.
Some missteps + optimizing revenue over managing brand image.
awfulannouncing.com/espn/vibes-b...
NFL TNF is cool, but Thursday night college football was fucking amazing circa 2006-2008, before the NFL took that corner.
I know it still exists, but the power conferences fled, and at this point, I barely even know who is playing these games.
The real ones know.
I know it still exists, but the power conferences fled, and at this point, I barely even know who is playing these games.
The real ones know.
November 6, 2025 at 8:03 PM
NFL TNF is cool, but Thursday night college football was fucking amazing circa 2006-2008, before the NFL took that corner.
I know it still exists, but the power conferences fled, and at this point, I barely even know who is playing these games.
The real ones know.
I know it still exists, but the power conferences fled, and at this point, I barely even know who is playing these games.
The real ones know.