ESPN has begun a major round of layoffs, most of them related to the network’s acquisition of NFL Network and NFL RedZone, according to President Jimmy Pitaro’s internal memo.
The layoffs are being announced six months after Disney finalized a deal with the NFL, acquiring distribution rights to the NFL Network in exchange for giving the league a 10% stake in ESPN.
The fair value of the transaction is estimated at $3 billion.
According to Business Insiderthe internal memo states: “Over the past several months, we have made significant progress integrating the NFL assets we acquired into ESPN. Throughout the process, we have taken the time to carefully evaluate our collective teams, resources and organizational structure to best position ourselves for the future.”
Although the total number of employees is not confirmed, 10 on-air talents will certainly lose their jobs. They include:
- Ryan Clark (NFA analyst)
- Karl Ravech (MLB play-by-play announcer/host)
- Tom Pelissero (NFL Network Insider)
- Cam Newton (First Take contributor)
- David Lloyd (SportsCenter anchor)
- Stephania Bell (injury and fantasy football analyst)
- Charles Davis (NFL Network analyst)
- Bart Scoff (radio host and NFA analyst)
However, before that, Newton left ESPN after joining the company in 2024. This followed controversies in which he spoke about the value of women and hosted Jason Whitlock on his show.
It is worth noting that ESPN last carried out a layoff program in April, with Disney also carrying out layoffs within the organization. It will be in February 2027 that ESPN will broadcast its very first Super Bowl.
In his note, Pitaro emphasized, “Even in times like these, ESPN’s strength comes from our people, our teamwork and our shared mission to serve sports fans. »
