Report: Talent scrambling to stay at ESPN
WITH LAYOFFS looming at ESPN, anchors are reportedly volunteering to take pay cuts in hope of saving their respective jobs.
Their pitch is that they “love ESPN” and want to remain with the network, “even if it means less cash and exposure at the Worldwide Leader in Sports,” according to Sporting News.
It’s unclear if the pay cuts will actually help prevent people from losing their jobs with the company.
The cuts could happen before Disney’s — ESPN’s parent company — fiscal second-quarter earnings call on May 9 and ESPN’s presentation ad buys on May 16, Sporting News adds.
Sports Illustrated’s media reporter Richard Deitsch posted a statement on Facebook Tuesday that said layoffs could happen as early as tomorrow and “the numbers will be larger than previously reported.”
Reported layoffs have triggered a “panic of biblical proportions” among the staff with anchors/analysts reportedly on the chopping block.
“ESPN is calling this a ‘right-sizing,’” a source told Sporting News. “They’re trying to focus on their core on-air talent and get the maximum amount out of them, just like everybody else does.”
ESPN is reportedly making an offer to anchors that they can walk away with 50% of the money left on their contracts if they agree to leave or they can hold out for what they’re owed and likely be taken off TV.
What they choose to do will likely depend on age and experience, the source said.
ESPN’s Titans reporter, Paul Kuharsky, appears to be the first to be heading out, announcing he’ll be leaving in July.
In March, Jim Miller, who wrote the 2011 book “Those Guys Have All the Fun: Inside the World of ESPN,” told the Sports Illustrated Media podcast that 40-50 employees could lose their jobs. This includes well-known TV personalities.
Miller believes that personalities like Mike Greenberg, “SportsCenter” anchors Neil Everett, Scott Van Pelt, Jemele Hill, Michael Smith and Stan Verrett are safe, along with “First Take’s” Stephen A. Smith.
ESPN has lost 12 million subscribers over the past five years, dropping from 100 million homes to 88 million, likely making this one of the reasons behind the cuts. This comes while the World Wide Leader continues to increase its multi-billion-dollar spending on rights fees.