ESPN cuts jobs after NFL Network takeover
Chairman Jimmy Pitaro told employees the layoffs are largely tied to ESPN’s integration of NFL Network and other league media assets.
By Hana Yoshida · Markets Reporter
3 min read
ESPN is cutting jobs in its first major round of layoffs in three years, with chairman Jimmy Pitaro telling employees that most of the reductions stem from the company’s acquisition of NFL Network and other NFL media assets, according to The Associated Press. The cuts also reached on-air staff, including longtime NFL analyst Ryan Clark.
In a Tuesday memo obtained by the AP, Pitaro said ESPN had spent recent months integrating the NFL assets it acquired and reviewing teams, resources and its organizational structure. He told employees the company would notify affected workers that day, including some outside the parts of the business tied to the NFL deal.
Pitaro said in the memo that ESPN would provide support to workers whose jobs were eliminated and would treat employees with compassion and respect, according to the AP.
NFL deal drives most cuts
The NFL media transaction was announced last August, the AP reported. It included NFL Network, NFL Fantasy and rights to distribute the RedZone channel to cable and satellite providers.
Under the agreement, the NFL received a 10% equity stake in ESPN, according to the AP. Regulators approved the deal in January, and NFL Network employees became part of ESPN on April 1.
The layoffs come as ESPN’s parent company, Walt Disney Co., is making other reductions this week, the AP reported.
On-air staff affected
Most of the job cuts affect production and other behind-the-scenes roles, but some broadcasters and analysts were also affected, according to the AP. Clark, who joined ESPN in 2015 as an NFL analyst, learned he was being laid off while appearing on “NFL Live” on Monday, the AP reported, citing a person familiar with the situation.
That person told the AP that Clark had been expected to receive the news Tuesday morning, before reports about the decision leaked. Company executives told Clark directly so he would not hear about it elsewhere, and he did not finish the show, according to the AP. The person spoke anonymously because they were not authorized to discuss personnel decisions.
Clark addressed the layoffs Tuesday on social media. In a post on X, he sent prayers and love to those laid off by ESPN, said many had devoted their lives to the company and expressed hope that new opportunities would follow. He also shared a workout video on Instagram.
Other notable departures include Karl Ravech, who had worked at ESPN since 1993 and had been a central figure in its baseball coverage, according to the AP. Ravech called “Sunday Night Baseball” from 2022 through 2025, before that package moved to NBC this season, and called Monday night’s Los Angeles Dodgers-Philadelphia Phillies game.
Tom Pelissero, who had been with NFL Network since 2017, is also among those cut, the AP reported. ESPN had recently signed NFL insiders Ian Rapoport and Adam Schefter to contract extensions.
This story draws on original reporting from Fortune.