More players are leaving the field at ESPN. Keyshawn Johnson, the morning-show personality, Jeff Van Gundy, the veteran basketball analyst, and Jalen Rose, the NBA-player-turned-commentator, are al…
, the NBA-player-turned-commentator, are all exiting the Disney sports-media giant, according to two people familiar with the matter, as executives look for ways to prune costs at the operation as its parent corporation grapples with seismic changes in its business.
“Given the current environment, ESPN has determined it necessary to identify some additional cost savings in the area of public-facing commentator salaries, and that process has begun,” the company said in a statement. “This exercise will include a small group of job cuts in the short-term and an ongoing focus on managing costs when we negotiate individual contract renewals in the months ahead.
Disney has been working to cut its ranks over the last several months as it contends with the migration of linear TV viewers to streaming. Disney is among the biggest spenders on sports rights — one of the reasons for the success of ESPN over the decades — but will face increasing trouble if it does not keep an eye on costs, particularly as customers to might have once automatically subscribed to ESPN via cable or satellite seek other method of getting their sports fix.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Jeff Van Gundy let go as one of ESPN’s big-name layoffsThe group had spent 16 years together.
Read more »
Jeff Van Gundy among those out at ESPN as Disney slashes costsESPN continued a summer of layoffs Friday that are expected to claim around 20 on-camera and potentially high-profile jobs, as the sports giant downsizes for the streaming era. Among the cuts is top NBA analyst Jeff Van Gundy.
Read more »
Jeff Smith to Collect All His Pre-Bone Thorn Strips for the First TimeWhile Bone creator Jeff Smith attended the Ohio State University, he created a comic strip called 'Thorn' for the student newspaper, The Lantern, which included some of the characters who later featured in Bone. There was a partial collection, with a thousand print run, but nothing since Bone became a big thing. And copies have […]\n
Read more »
Jeff Bezos' Fiancée Lauren Sanchez Lands Billionaires' Helicopter on YachtHere's Lauren Sanchez showing off her skills as a helicopter pilot ... touching down in Jeff Bezos' chopper on a floating landing pad.
Read more »