ESPN will reportedly lay off about 20 on-air staffers. Plus: J.J. Watt officially signs with CBS, NCAA women’s volleyball championship to air on ABC.
ESPN cutting on-air talent
Around 20 on-air broadcasters at ESPN will be laid off today, according to the New York Post’s Andrew Marchand.
In an internal memo sent to ESPN staff, the company noted that they would be cutting a small number of public-facing employees, “in order to identify additional cost savings.” The memo also stated there would be “an ongoing focus on managing costs when we negotiate individual contract renewals in the months ahead.”
ESPN did not provide a full list of names, but they are said to include “some of the top NFL, NBA and ESPN Radio personalities,” according to the New York Post report.
So far, two prominent, long-time NBA analysts have been let go: lead game analyst Jeff Van Gundy, and studio analyst Jalen Rose.
The layoffs come after Disney CEO Bob Iger set out to eliminate 7,000 jobs earlier this year. (NY Post 6.30)
J.J. Watt joins CBS
Former NFL defensive end J.J. Watt has officially signed a multiyear deal with CBS. The deal will have Watt serve as a studio analyst on The NFL Today pregame show, along with other CBS Sports properties.
Watt will make his first appearance on the pregame show in Week 1, alongside regulars Jason Brown, Bill Cowher, Boomer Esiason, Phil Simms, and Nate Burleson.
The frequency with which Watt will appear on The NFL Today and other CBS Sports properties is unclear. Earlier reports indicated Watt was not interested in a full time role. The CBS press release did not specify how often Watt would appear for the network. (CBS Sports PR 6.29)
NCAA women’s volleyball championship to ABC
ESPN and the NCAA announced that the 2023 NCAA women’s volleyball championship is set to air on ABC later this year. This continues the trend of shifting some higher-profile NCAA championship inventory from cable to broadcast. In April, ESPN aired the women’s gymnastics championships on ABC, which garnered its highest viewership since 2007.
The game, set for Sunday, December 17 at 3 PM ET, will compete head-to-head with the NFL on broadcast television. The two semifinal match-ups will still air Thursday evening on ESPN. The game previously aired on ESPN2 on a Saturday night. (ESPN PR 6.29)
