Why would any cable (or alternative) company offer ESPN in a bundle?
The majority of customers do not like sports, do not want ESPN. So you offer a bundle w/o ESPN. Customers that want it can sign up for it, a la carte. In the bundle, ESPN is very valuable, the ONLY way to get ESPN is to get the bundle. A la carte, ESPN is toxic. Since the minority of customers who want it can get it outside the bundle, they will do so; and the majority of customers, who do not want it, will find the things they want w/o it.
Same for every other genre