ESPN has begun a major round of layoffs, with most of the cuts tied to the network’s acquisition of NFL Network and NFL RedZone, according to president Jimmy Pitaro’s internal memo.
The layoffs are announced six months after Disney finalized a deal with the NFL, acquiring distribution rights to NFL Network in exchange for giving the league a 10% stake in ESPN.
The transaction has an estimated fair value of $3 billion.
according to Insider business informationthe 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 has not been confirmed, it is certain that 10 on-air talents will lose their jobs. They include:
- Ryan Clark (NFA analyst)
- Karl Ravech (MLB announcer/play-by-play host)
- Tom Pelissero (NFL Network Insider)
- Cam Newton (First Take Contributor)
- David Lloyd (SportsCenter host)
- Stephania Bell (Fantasy Football and Injury 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 came after controversies in which she spoke about the value of women and hosted Jason Whitlock on her show.
It should be noted that ESPN last carried out a layoff program in April, just as Disney also carried out layoffs within the organization. It will be in February 2027 when ESPN broadcasts its first Super Bowl.
In his memo, Pitaro emphasized: “Even in times like these, ESPN’s strength comes from our people, our teamwork and our shared mission to serve sports fans.”
