Out of all the talent that ESPN has laid off over the years, I think Ed Werder was the only one that ended up hiring back. Jaws got laid off and hasn’t been seen or heard from since.
Say Goodbye to those ESPN Personalities Ya'll Love So Much: Official ESPN Layoffs Thread
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Chris Fowler got a new contract
Fowler recently completed his existing 10-year contract that paid $30 million in total and was looking for a raise, but ESPN only awarded him a small increase, according to the report, while announcing some major layoffs from the network.
Disney, the company that owns ESPN, plans to cut around 7,000 jobs from around the company overall and the sports network has been looking to get rid of mid-range personnel earning anywhere from $2 million to $5 million per year.
But big names like Fowler — and the likes of Monday Night Football announcer Joe Buck, longtime analyst and commentator Stephen A. Smith, and broadcaster Scott Van Pelt, among other famous faces — are safe from the widespread cuts.
The company is looking to cut out its costs among those people in the middle of the ranks and more cuts are set to come for many behind the scenes workers.
Among those cuts was Mike Soltys, the second-longest tenured employee in ESPN history, an executive who spent 43 years at the company.
Fowler recently completed his existing 10-year contract that paid $30 million in total and was looking for a raise, but ESPN only awarded him a small increase, according to the report, while announcing some major layoffs from the network.
Disney, the company that owns ESPN, plans to cut around 7,000 jobs from around the company overall and the sports network has been looking to get rid of mid-range personnel earning anywhere from $2 million to $5 million per year.
But big names like Fowler — and the likes of Monday Night Football announcer Joe Buck, longtime analyst and commentator Stephen A. Smith, and broadcaster Scott Van Pelt, among other famous faces — are safe from the widespread cuts.
The company is looking to cut out its costs among those people in the middle of the ranks and more cuts are set to come for many behind the scenes workers.
Among those cuts was Mike Soltys, the second-longest tenured employee in ESPN history, an executive who spent 43 years at the company.
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MEDIA
ESPN Hit By Disney-Mandated Layoffs
Among those laid-off is 43-year communications veteran Mike Soltys.
Layoffs are part of Disney's plan to slash 7,000 and $5.5 billion in costs.
BY MICHAEL MCCARTHY
APRIL 24, 2023 | 09:58 AM
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Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
“I’m absolutely gutted.”
That was the anguished reaction of one ESPN executive as long-feared layoffs kicked in Monday at the network’s headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut.
Among those let go was Mike Soltys, a beloved 43-year veteran and the second-longest-tenured employee at ESPN.
The layoffs are part of Walt Disney Co. CEO Bob Iger’s mandate to slash 7,000 jobs and $5.5 billion in costs.
The first wave of layoffs in March didn’t impact ESPN, but this week’s could cost fewer than 100 ESPN staff their jobs, according to CNBC.
Another wave will hit ESPN in early summer, possibly affecting on-air talent, as the network evaluates everything from salaries to job performance.
Chairman Jimmy Pitaro said in a memo: “We will have another wave of notifications that will be completed by the start of the summer for those that are not in front-facing talent roles.”
Timing will be everything for on-air talent.
There are at least ten or so untouchables ranging from Stephen A. Smith, Troy Aikman, Joe Buck, Kirk Herbstreit and Mike Greenberg to Scott Van Pelt, Doris Burke, Adam Schefter, Adrian Wojnarowski, and pending free agent Mina Kimes.
I wonder how much he got for selling 538...
Jaws does stuff for NBC Sports Philadelphia
With all of the higher tier people getting laid off at ESPN, it wouldn't surprise me if a lot of those notable names are on the chopping block as well or at least looking at a major paycut. In the case of a lot of them, it's probably a wrap on them coming back as Disney once stepped in when ESPN tried to bring Jaws back on air.
Makes sense, honestly. Aside from the talent they fly out to the site of games, Monday Night Countdown honestly doesn't provide anything unique that a viewer has probably already been served by the several hours of NFL related content from Sunday evening, and through the day on Monday, and couldn't be served to them with just extending SportsCenter another hour with extended segments with their roster of NFL analysts.