- Cuts will mostly affect workers behind the scenes at company
- Declining subscriber base and increased broadcast rights to blame
ESPN laid off high-profile names in April this year. Photograph: Kris Tripplaar/Sipa USA
The ESPN president, John Skipper, announced the news in a memo to staff on Wednesday.
“Today we are informing approximately 150 people at ESPN that their jobs are being eliminated,” read the statement. “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. 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.”
The cuts are expected to mostly come from workers behind the scenes. That’s in contrast to the round of layoffs in April when many high-profile writers and on-air personalities lost their jobs. The layoffs are affected by ESPN’s declining subscriber base and commitment to increased broadcast rights packages, a portfolio which includes a 10-year, $15.2bn deal with the NFL, a $7.3bn deal for the college football playoffs and a nine-year, $12bn deal with the NBA that started last fall.
In October 2015 around 300 mostly behind the scenes employees were let go.
The broadcaster has endured a rocky time in recent months in addition to the cuts. It ended its partnership with Barstool Sports, a publication known for its crude humour and sexist jokes, after just one show in October. ESPN also attracted criticism for suspending host Jemele Hill after she made critical remarks about Donald Trump on Twitter.
Guardian sport