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ESPN Lays Off Over 100 Employees, Including Longtime Talent

April 27, 2017
Sportcenter
Sportcenter

Things are changing dramatically at ESPN.

After news broke Wednesday (Apr. 26) that the sports network laid off more than 100 employees, including several long-time hosts, the reason has surfaced via a memo from ESPN president John Skipper. According to Fox News the memo sent throughout the office states that the massive layoffs are due to the company’s plan to increase focus on its ESPN app and to “bolster its online presence”

“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,” Skipper wrote to employees. “We will implement changes in our talent lineup this week. A limited number of other positions will also be affected and a handful of new jobs will be posted to fill various needs. These decisions impact talented people who have done great work for our company. I would like to thank all of them for their efforts and their many contributions to ESPN.”

Many longtime faces have been released from the company including, Jay Crawford, Andy Katz, Jayson Stark, Len Elmore, Ed Werder, Scott Burnside, and Brett McMurphy among many others.

 

 

Fox News also reports that even though rumors circulated around that the initial number of layoffs has increased in recent weeks, “the game plan was always to cut around 100 people”.

Skipper informs that although the layoffs are unfortunate, his news plans are to move forward and focus on the shift in emphasis on live news, video, and audio streaming.

“On the horizon is more live news video and enhanced video and audio streaming,” he continued in the statement. “Our goal continues to be to maximize our unparalleled scale in every medium with storytelling that stands out and makes a difference. We are well-equipped to thrive going forward by embracing these themes.”

Several current and former ESPN employees have expressed their thoughts on the massive layoffs, including the always outspoken Jemele Hill and Michael Smith.

The popular duo of SportsCenter at 6 aka “The Six”  opened up the show by spending more than five minutes addressing the layoffs and the people who helped them along the way who suffered. On Twitter however, Hill addressed those who were “happy” about the widespread cuts with a heavy hand.

 

Former ESPN host and current CBS Radio & Fox Sports personality Colin Cowherd, says that ESPN could one day become the “worldwide leader in layoffs.” On his show, Bull and Fox, he told listeners that he predicted the layoffs while still employed by the company due to ESPN’s billion dollar deals with the NFL and NBA for the rights to air their games.

“You cannot pay four times for the house (more) than what you paid for the house last year. And I said this company will never be the same,” Cowherd said. “It was at that point I started looking, and this is not going to end today. They have really cost-prohibitive contracts, combined with cord-cutting. These firings are awful. It makes me sick. When you have overpaid for products — sometimes six and seven hundred million more than you had to pay — certainly with the NBA that’s the case, they just pay way too much for it.”

Cowherd left the network in 2015 after signing a four-year contract with Fox Sports, home of former ESPN talent, Skip Bayless.

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Last updated on April 27, 2017