Sports Illustrated reported that cuts are coming to on-air talent at ESPN. This report was then confirmed by other outlets. It is unknown how many individuals will lose their jobs, but the report said that ESPN hopes to save tens of millions of dollars. It is expected that the layoffs will come from the on-air side and not from behind-the-scenes roles.
ESPN has been a tough spot as sports rights continue to raise and cable subscribers begin to decline. While Disney CEO Bob Iger expects new initiatives such as the upcoming direct-to-consumer offering make up for some of that shortfall, they have yet to roll out.
“We have long been about serving fans and innovating to create the best content for them,” ESPN said in a statement. “Today’s fans consume content in many different ways and we are in a continuous process of adapting to change and improving what we do. Inevitably that has consequences for how we utilize our talent. We are confident that ESPN will continue to have a roster of talent that is unequaled in sports.”
It is unknown what familiar faces will be departing the network. Recently Chris Berman segued into an emeritus type role while long-time play-by-play voice Brent Musberger departed the network completely.