ESPN Chief Announces More than 100 Layoffs

BRISTOL, CT – ESPN's chief executive on Wednesday announced that 150 behind-the-scenes employees have lost their jobs.

"Today we are informing approximately 150 people at ESPN that their jobs are being eliminated," ESPN President John Skipper said in a memo shared with employees Thursday morning. The message was posted on the ESPN Front Row page of the sports television giant's website.

Skipper continued, "We appreciate their contributions, and will assist them as much as possible in this difficult moment with severance, a 2017 bonus, the continuation of health benefits and outplacement services. They will also appreciate your support."

The majority of the jobs eliminated are in studio production, digital content, and technology and they "generally reflect decisions to do less in certain instances and re-direct resources," Skipper said in the memo.

He concluded, "We will continue to invest in ways which will best position us to serve the modern sports fan and support the success of our business."

Last month, pundits predicted more layoffs between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

The last major layoffs at ESPN took place back in April, when The Washington Post reported on a round that included "50 familiar names and 50 viewers may or may not recognize."

ESPN has lost more than 10 million subscribers over the past few years, while the costs of negotiating broadcasting deals with major sports leagues have gone up considerably, according to The New York Times.

Rich Hanley, associate professor of journalism at Quinnipiac University, said the breakdown was unexpected.

“The ESPN layoffs were expected but the action reinforces that the network peaked some time ago and is seeking more so to manage the decline in overall cable subscriptions than it is to promote growth at this point,” Hanley said. “The concentration of layoffs in the digital content and technology sectors does come as a surprise because it is in those areas that a stable platform environment seems most promising.”

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Photo Credit: ESPN