ESPN lays off about 20 on-air talent as part of ‘cost savings’ by Disney
The US sports broadcasting giant ESPN has laid off about 20 on-air personalities, including some of the network’s most well-known commentators, analysts and journalists, according to reports.
National Basketball Association analysts Jeff Van Gundy and Jalen Rose are among those let go, CNBC reported on Friday. So are morning-show host and boxing commentator Max Kellerman, National Football League reporter Suzy Kolber as well as NFL analysts Keyshawn Johnson and Steve Young, according to multiple reports.
On her Twitter account, Kolber said her layoff was “heartbreaking, but 27 years at ESPN was a good run”.
“So grateful for a 38[-year] career,” Kolber’s tweet added. “Longevity for a woman in this business is something I’m especially proud of. Next step – a project that gives back.”
CNBC reported that the job eliminations are part of an effort by ESPN to meet fiscal goals for this year and beyond. This round took aim at onair employees with large salaries, with ESPN hoping that such an approach would let it retain more staffers across the platform, according to CNBC.
ESPN’s majority owner, Disney, recently finished laying off about 7,000 employees. Disney’s layoffs were meant to generate more than $5bn in savings as streaming gains slowed, among other factors, and are considered separate from ESPN’s job cuts.
CNBC reported that more prominent departures at ESPN are expected when some on-air personalities do not have their contracts renewed in the coming months.
A statement from ESPN on Friday did not address specifics on the day’s cuts but said they were “necessary” to achieve “additional cost savings”.
“This … will include a small group of job cuts in the short-term and an ongoing focus on managing costs when we negotiate individual contract renewals in the months ahead,” ESPN’s statement said.
Disney’s television division, which includes ABC, ESPN, FX, the Disney Channel and National Geographic, reported $7bn in revenue in fiscal year 2022, up 3% from a year earlier, with a $2.5bn operating profit, a 13% increase.
In a separate high-profile US cable TV job cut, Geraldo Rivera made his last appearance on Fox News on Friday. The network said Rivera’s departure from Fox was “amicable” while the ex-correspondent and weekend anchor said he had quit after being fired from the show known as The Five.
Rivera nonetheless said Friday: “I love the people at Fox, I always will.”