Big Names Part Of Latest ESPN Layoffs: Reports

Several big names are part of ESPN's latest round of layoffs, according to reporting Tuesday by Andrew Marchand of The Athletic.

Marchand reported that most of the layoffs are expected at NFL Network, which ESPN acquired along with other NFL media assets in January. The NFL secured a 10 percent stake in ESPN as part of the negotiated deal.

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Since the acquisition, ESPN has tried to coordinate its operations in Bristol and New York with NFL Network's Los Angeles headquarters, Marchand reported.

But the most notable employee being let go is Karl Ravech, who joined ESPN in 1993 as an anchor and became the leading voice for the sports network giant in Major League Baseball coverage.

Ravech, 61, became the primary host of "Baseball Tonight" and led studio coverage of the MLB playoffs and World Series.

Since 2006, Ravech has been in the booth for ESPN and ABC's coverage of the Little League World Series, and has also called games for the College World Series.

In 2022, Ravech was added to the broadcast team of ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball. He last called Monday night's game on ESPN between the Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angeles Dodgers in Philadelphia.

According to Marchand, Ravech had not yet been informed as of Tuesday morning that he was being let go. Ravech's bio has been removed from the ESPN press website.

Other employees being dismissed include injury expert Stephania Bell, longtime SportsCenter anchor David Lloyd, studio analyst and radio host Bart Scott, and "First Take" contributor and former NFL star Cam Newton, Front Office Sports reported.

Lloyd joined ESPN as an ESPNEWS anchor in 1997.

NFL insider Tom Pelissero and NFL Network analyst Charles Davis are also being laid off, according to Marchand. NFL analyst Ryan Clark was laid off Monday as part of the latest cuts.

The most recent layoffs came in April when around 30 jobs were cut, mostly from off-camera positions after ESPN lost $100 million during a contract dispute with YouTube TV in late 2025, media reports said.

It was not immediately clear late Tuesday morning how many positions were being impacted. Marchand reported that Disney, ESPN's parent company, was also expected to conduct layoffs.

Read more from The Athletic and Front Office Sports