Will "Killer" Jenner Gambit Backfire?

I just looked at tonight's tv schedule and ABC could be the biggest loser.  ABC's decision to put the ESPY awards on ABC instead of ESPN could be one of the biggest scheduling mistakes in American tv history.   Even the ESPN channels, which are the normal home of the ESPY awards, have more appealing programs.   "Home Run Derby" and "the Pan American Games" are easily more appealing shows than a silly awards program whose big winner has been known for over a month. 

The E! network which is owned by NBC is taking advantage of the free publicity ABC has provided about "Killer" Jenner to run three 1-hour programs about Jenner becoming a female  impersonator.  The last I heard Jenner is not having surgery to become a woman by replacing his male genitals with female ones. Thus  he will be  a female impersonator rather than a woman.   If I were actually interested in seeing Jenner in a dress I would watch those programs instead of sitting through nearly three hours of a program I wouldn't otherwise have an interest in just to see him get an award.  E! or news programs will likely show the award presentation later.    NBC itself has "America's got Talent" for the first hour followed by a reality show called "American Ninja Warrior".

The 3-hour length of the ESPY award program makes it much less attractive to viewers.   The length implies the program will feature a lot of award categories most viewers won't be interest in.     One of the most common complaints about awards shows is that they are toooooooo long.  One of the biggest reasons people sit through awards programs is to find out who wins.   ABC had eliminated the mystery by saying the big award will go to Jenner.

Of course ABC could not very well suggest that Jenner was competing against others for the award.  If others were being considered for the award their efforts would be shown.  ABC couldn't very well show a clip of Lauren Hill playing her last basketball game to raise money for cancer research followed by a clip of Noan Galloway competing on "Dancing with the stars' using an artificial leg and then show Jenner putting on a dress.  If they did that   one would believe Jenner was a legitimate winner.