ESPN lays off on-air talent amid changing landscape

ESPN on Wednesday began another round of layoffs, this one aimed at on-air personalities, perhaps the starkest sign yet of the financial reckoning playing out in sports broadcasting as cord-cutting proliferates.

ESPN is by far the biggest and most powerful entity in the industry, and it also may feel the sting more as viewers turn away from traditional ways of consuming live sports.

The network has lost more than 10 million subscribers over the past several years. At the same time, the cost of broadcasting major sports has continued to rise. ESPN committed to a 10-year, $15.2 billion deal with the NFL in 2011; a nine-year, $12 billion deal with the NBA; and a $7.3 billion deal for the college football playoffs, among many others.

‘‘ESPN was wrapped in Teflon for many years, but big payouts for rights fees plus significant losses in their subscriber base were like punches to the gut and head, and now the company is trying to make sure they are strong enough to fight in the future,’’ said James Andrew Miller, who wrote a book on ESPN and has contributed to The New York Times.

‘‘They have decided one way to do this is to change their approach to content and rely more heavily on digital; this has enabled them to let go of a big chunk of their talent base.’’

In October 2015, ESPN laid off about 300 people, most of whom were not on camera.

The network has been periodically culling its staff as it adapts to changing consumer habits — fans increasingly watch video clips on their smartphones at the expense of traditional highlight shows like ‘‘SportsCenter’’ — and searching for ways to cut costs. It is locked into long-term contracts for programming rights with various sports leagues, which means savings must come primarily from a reduced staff.

In a letter to employees Wednesday, ESPN president John Skipper acknowledged the ‘‘difficult decisions’’ ahead and suggested what the network was looking for as it reshaped itself in the coming days.

‘‘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 said in the statement.

Here are some of the ESPN employees who have made statements on social media: Jay Crawford, ‘‘SportsCenter’’ anchor; Ed Werder, NFL reporter; Jayson Stark, baseball writer; Trent Dilfer, NFL analyst; Len Elmore, college basketball analyst; Dana O’Neil, college basketball reporter; Eamonn Brennan, college basketball reporter; Danny Kanell, "Russillo and Kanell" radio host; Justin Verrier, NBA reporter; Robin Lundberg, radio host; Calvin Watkins, NBA reporter; Melissa Isaacson, columnist; Ted Miller, Pac-12 reporter; Jane McManus, writer; Ashley Fox, NFL reporter; Ethan Strauss, NBA reporter; Jeremy Crabtree, college football reporter; Brian Bennett, Big Ten reporter; Doug Padilla, baseball writer; Max Olson, college football reporter; C.L. Brown, college basketball reporter; Mike Goodman, soccer writer; Johnette Howard, columnist; Austin Ward, Big Ten football reporter; Joe McDonald, hockey writer; Pierre LeBrun, hockey writer; Scott Burnside, NHL columnist; Jesse Temple, Big Ten football reporter; Jim Bowden, baseball analyst; Mark Saxon, baseball reporter; Brett McMurphy, college football reporter; Paul Kuharsky, Tennessee Titans writer; Derek Tyson, SEC recruiting analyst; Jean-Jacques Taylor, ESPNDallas; and Brendan Fitzgerald, ESPNU host.