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ESPN Will Cut 100 On-air Personalities Today

4K views 60 replies 35 participants last post by  Jay Valero 
#1 ·
Wow.

ESPN will cut more than 100 employees today, Yahoo Finance has learned.

That number is much bigger than the 40-50 that was initially reported. ESPN aims to notify all of the people today, if it can do so.

It has been widely reported for weeks that big cuts are coming to ESPN—so widely reported, and dissected, and gossiped about, in fact, that ESPN moved up its schedule and is notifying people earlier than it originally planned.

The 100 people getting cut are all “on-air talent,” a label ESPN uses for TV personalities, radio hosts, and writers who regularly appear on TV and radio. (ESPN says it has 1,000 such people, prior to these cuts.)

In addition to those 100, a “limited number of other positions will also be affected,” according to a note sent to all employees on Wednesday morning from ESPN president John Skipper.

A source tells Yahoo Finance the number of non-talent getting cut is indeed a “very limited” number, but nonetheless, the number is on top of the 100 on-air talents.

In his companywide memo, posted publicly, Skipper frames the cuts around a shifting content strategy. ESPN’s content strategy, he writes, “still needs to go further, faster… and as always, must be efficient and nimble. Dynamic change demands an increased focus on versatility and value, and as a result, we have been engaged in the challenging process of determining the talent—anchors, analysts, reporters, writers and those who handle play-by-play—necessary to meet those demands. We will implement changes in our talent lineup this week.”

The company also posted a public statement on its content strategy to its press page. The statement says that ESPN’s “content is evolving,” and that, “given how fans’ habits are changing, our focus continues to be providing high-quality, distinctive content at any minute of the day on any screen.”

As examples of success in its current strategy, the statement touts: the midnight SportsCenter hosted by Scott Van Pelt; the new 6pm SportsCenter (“The Six”) hosted by Jemele Hill and Michael Smith; the ESPN app, with “increased personalization”; and “numerous examples this year of ESPN’s multi-screen approach around big events” such as the College Football Playoff Championship and fantasy football.

ESPN also says in the statement that in May it will relaunch “two of our biggest journalism brands,” the shows Outside the Lines and E:60, with a “larger presence digitally, socially and across all our screens.”

ESPN’s subscriber numbers have dropped steadily, weighing on parent company Disney, forcing a new round of cost-cutting. When Disney demands cuts, ESPN can make those cuts however it chooses.

ESPN had major layoffs in 2015, as it did two years before that, in 2013. Both times, it cut around 300 people. This time around, the network reportedly sought to cut tens of millions of dollars, and decided that ridding itself of big expensive contracts was the way to do it.

As ESPN’s content strategy evolves and it looks to reach consumers on platforms other than traditional cable, it expects more from its on-air people than ever before. A source at ESPN frames the cuts this way: “We are focusing on people that can be versatile and appear cross-platform. If you’re making X, are you justifying that salary? It’s all about versatility.” Translation: old-school veterans that appear only on TV, and don’t do much else, may be the ones in trouble.

Of course, the problems ESPN faces are not exclusive to ESPN. It’s not news to anyone that media is a struggling business these days—print, broadcast, and digital. But sports television is especially brutal right now: programming costs keep rising, while viewership is falling. Something has to give.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/espn...y-123057142.html?soc_src=social-sh&soc_trk=tw
And it begins.

 
#20 ·
I think they core shows like Sportsnation, Highly Questionable, Around the Horn, PTI, etc are going to be just fine. I am surprised at the some of the moves like Stark and Werner. Not shocked by the hockey guys getting can because ESPN doesn't give a shit about Hockey these days. But it is the changing time of sports media and moves like this are going to happen now this days. Wouldn't be surprised if there is more down the road.
 
#33 ·
They had also announced earlier this year that in May "The Sports Reporters" was ending its run. That was probably my favorite show on ESPN, but these days the panel shows have gone the way of yelling and screaming at each other instead of actually having a conversation. Such is the world we now live in. :shrug

In addition to hockey, I've noticed that a good chunk of the layoffs came from those that covered baseball, the NFL, and one of their last racing reporters (Dr. Jerry Punch). It's a shame that solid reporters like Stark and Werder are out of jobs.



She should have been one of the pink slips, I appreciate a pretty face as much as the next person but she brings absolutely nothing to the table...I tend to mute my TV whenever I see her on. They should have also fired Duke Vitale also, he has become a caricature of himself and all he is good for anymore now is yelling and screaming "AWESOME BABY!" But of course he will get on his knees to pleasure Coach K and Roy Williams and all things ACC for college hoops.
@Tater I love HQ and the Dan LeBatard radio show, but they should have shit-canned Stugotz. Something about that guy makes me want to punch him in the face if I was to ever meet him. This is what happens when you allow producers to become talent...there's a reason they are not the actual hosts.


I hate to see people lose their jobs, but ESPN asked for this when they started pushing liberal garbage and giving Bruce Jenner a courage award. Wish they would fire that libtard Max Kellerman.
This really plays a very small role. I chalk this up more to the idea finally hitting home that sports was not preventing people to cut the cord after all. The argument had been ESPN and live sports were going to single-handedly keep people from getting rid of their cable or satellite. However, that is no longer the case as we are seeing cord-cutting staying consistent.

Even for those of us that still have cable and satellite, viewing habits have changed when it comes to sports. I know that I don't necessarily watch a game just because its on. You need to give me a compelling game, either one of my favorite teams is playing or the game is that good. If it's doesn't keep my interest, I'm happy to turn off the TV or watch something else. Putting two teams on the field is no longer enough to keep my interest.

This move is the equivalent to an obese person getting a haircut as a mean's of losing weight. They overpayed in the billions for sports right fee's and these people being fired is just a way to trick the more gullible of their stock holders into thinking they are doing something effective.
They do this specifically to keep the competition from getting their hands on it. That's why they overpaid big time for the NBA rights a few years ago. It will be interesting if this bubble bursts come 2020 or so, about the time negotiations for the next contracts start.

One thing ESPN should drop is Monday Night Football. MNF is no longer the must-see event it once was, unless they can negotiate flex scheduling like NBC has with its Sunday-night package.
 
#30 · (Edited)
I hate to see people lose their jobs, but ESPN asked for this when they started pushing liberal garbage and giving Bruce Jenner a courage award. Wish they would fire that libtard Max Kellerman.
 
#34 ·
First Take has been absolutely unwatchable since Skip left. I could always tolerate Stephen A's constant race baiting because he's entertaining, but Max is an insufferable SJW who brings nothing to the table. I wish they would just fire his ass and give his seat to Will Cain.
 
#32 ·
This move is the equivalent to an obese person getting a haircut as a mean's of losing weight. They overpayed in the billions for sports right fee's and these people being fired is just a way to trick the more gullible of their stock holders into thinking they are doing something effective.
 
#35 ·
ESPN didn't want FOX taking away the NBA rights so they massively overpaid to retain the rights and this is the result. And this was with Cowherd, Simmons, Bayless, Mike Tirico and Chris Berman off their payroll. It would've been worse if they were all still with ESPN.

I think the College Football deal is the real killer here. At the least you get a ton of games with the NBA and theres consistantly going to be a handful of players you can market. ESPN paid 5 and half billion dollars to air 6 games a year for 12 years.
 
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