ESPN decimated its reporting ranks and cut several anchors and analysts in layoffs Wednesday that were far worse than expected.
ESPN reporters Ed Werder, Andy Katz and Jayson Stark, SportsCenter anchor Jay Crawford and TV analysts Trent Dilfer and Danny Kanell announced on Twitter Wednesday and Thursday that they have been laid off, among the most prominent staffers to announce that they have been dropped from the network.
Werder had been with ESPN for 19 years, Katz for 18, Stark 17, Crawford 14, Dilfer 9 and Kannell 8.
College football reporter Brett McMurphy, college basketball reporter Dana O’Neill, NFL reporters Britt McHenry, Calvin Watkins and Ashley Fox, NBA reporter Ethan Strauss, columnists Johnette Howard and Jane McManus, SportsCenter anchors Chris Hassel, Jade McCarthy and Jaymee Sire, golf analyst Dottie Pepper, sideline reporter Dr. Jerry Punch, legal analyst Roger Cossack and NHL reporters Pierre LeBrun and Scott Burnside also made similar announcements, and that is far from an exhaustive list.
ESPN also announced during its Wednesday Night Baseball and Baseball Tonight telecasts that MLB analysts Doug Glanville, Dallas Braden and Raul Ibanez are among the cuts.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Hannah Storm, Karl Ravech and Ryen Russillo will be taking “significantly reduced” roles. The outlet earlier said that SportsCenter anchor John Buccigross would be among the cuts, but has since reported that will not be the case.
Upwards of 100 staffers are expected to be laid off today.
Outside the Lines host Bob Ley addressed the layoffs at the end of Wednesday’s show and Michael Smith and Jemele Hill spent the A-block of the 6 PM ET SportsCenter discussing the issue. Scott Van Pelt also plans to do so during his One Big Thing segment on SportsCenter tonight.
(News via Deadspin 4.26, Awful Announcing 4.26, Hollywood Reporter 4.26)
