More bad news could be on the horizon for ESPN. Staffers at the Worldwide Leader in Sports are bracing for another possible round of layoffs late this year, multiple sources tell Sporting News.
The next round of cutbacks could come down in late November or early December, with 40-60 positions potentially being impacted, according to sources. The layoffs could hit both on-air TV/radio talent and behind-the-scenes production staffers.
"This time it won't matter if you're 'liked' or not. It's not going to be pretty," one source warned.
Another source expects the flagship "SportsCenter" franchise to lose people in front of and behind the camera. "I see (ESPN) going down a path where they have less staff — and hire more production companies to provide programs and fill air time."
ESPN declined to comment.
ESPN is like the NFL of sports media: It's so big that competitors such as Fox Sports' FS1 would kill to have its ratings/audiences.
Through Week 7 of the 2017 season, ESPN's "Monday Night Football" was the lone NFL TV package up in ratings, according to Austin Karp of SportsBusiness Daily. In September, ESPN's "First Take" with Stephen A. Smith, Max Kellerman and Molly Qerim tripled the TV audience of FS1's rival "Undisputed" with Skip Bayless, Shannon Sharpe and Joy Taylor (461,000 vs. 150,000 average viewers). With 96.9 million digital users, ESPN had five times as many unique viewers in September as Fox Sports.
But ESPN is struggling from the triple-whammy of a shrinking subscriber base, expensive billion-dollar TV rights for the NFL, NBA and other sports, and bloated talent costs. The network pays $1.9 billion annually for "Monday Night Football" and another $1.4 billion for the NBA. Don't forget ESPN is still paying millions of dollars in severance costs to many of the 100 anchors/reporters laid off in late April.
The ESPN workforce in Bristol, Conn., and around the country is still recovering from the layoff of 100 colleagues in late April. Unlike the previous downsizing of 300 behind-the-scenes producers, directors and staffers in October 2015, this year's layoffs took out high-salaried TV talent and reporters, many with multi-year contracts. Many are still looking for their next gig.
ESPN is not the only media company downsizing in a challenging, changing economy. Media organizations ranging from Fox to Sports Illustrated have laid off staffers.
The next round of cutbacks could come down in late November or early December, with 40-60 positions potentially being impacted, according to sources. The layoffs could hit both on-air TV/radio talent and behind-the-scenes production staffers.
"This time it won't matter if you're 'liked' or not. It's not going to be pretty," one source warned.
Another source expects the flagship "SportsCenter" franchise to lose people in front of and behind the camera. "I see (ESPN) going down a path where they have less staff — and hire more production companies to provide programs and fill air time."
ESPN declined to comment.
ESPN is like the NFL of sports media: It's so big that competitors such as Fox Sports' FS1 would kill to have its ratings/audiences.
Through Week 7 of the 2017 season, ESPN's "Monday Night Football" was the lone NFL TV package up in ratings, according to Austin Karp of SportsBusiness Daily. In September, ESPN's "First Take" with Stephen A. Smith, Max Kellerman and Molly Qerim tripled the TV audience of FS1's rival "Undisputed" with Skip Bayless, Shannon Sharpe and Joy Taylor (461,000 vs. 150,000 average viewers). With 96.9 million digital users, ESPN had five times as many unique viewers in September as Fox Sports.
But ESPN is struggling from the triple-whammy of a shrinking subscriber base, expensive billion-dollar TV rights for the NFL, NBA and other sports, and bloated talent costs. The network pays $1.9 billion annually for "Monday Night Football" and another $1.4 billion for the NBA. Don't forget ESPN is still paying millions of dollars in severance costs to many of the 100 anchors/reporters laid off in late April.
The ESPN workforce in Bristol, Conn., and around the country is still recovering from the layoff of 100 colleagues in late April. Unlike the previous downsizing of 300 behind-the-scenes producers, directors and staffers in October 2015, this year's layoffs took out high-salaried TV talent and reporters, many with multi-year contracts. Many are still looking for their next gig.
ESPN is not the only media company downsizing in a challenging, changing economy. Media organizations ranging from Fox to Sports Illustrated have laid off staffers.
