That ESPN makes a lot of money off of cable subscribers is not a surprise, but the enormity is jaw-dropping.
In 2011, ESPN charged cable companies the largest fee, by far, at $4.69 per subscriber whether those people watch ESPN or not. And that fee has continued to soar, up 18.1% to $5.54 per subscriber in 2013.
And total revenue generated by cable subscribers is expected to jump again in 2014 to $7.31 billion.
Here is how ESPN's subscription fees compare to their advertising revenue...
Data via TheAtlantic.com