Another Round of Layoffs Could Be on the Way for ESPN: Report

Kristoffer Tripplaar/AP

Another round of layoffs is potentially on the horizon for ESPN and could include even more on-air talent, Front Office Sports reported Thursday.

According to the report, the layoffs would be a result of ESPN finalizing its major acquisition of the NFL Network in January, a deal first announced in August 2025. Front Office Sports added:

One of the major factors is ESPN’s recent acquisition of NFL Network. While everyone employed at the formerly-league-owned network immediately made the jump as ESPN employees, corporate acquisitions frequently involve headcount trimming as efficiencies are evaluated.

This would be the second round of cuts in recent months, as about 30 off-camera workers were laid off this past spring. They were part of a round of company-wide layoffs at parent company Disney. Deadline previously reported that Disney’s layoffs might not be finished.

ESPN has been rocked by layoffs in recent years. The most notable round came in the summer of 2023, when the company showed numerous household names the door, including NBA analysts Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson, Keyshawn Johnson, Max Kellerman, Jalen Rose, and NFL Draft analyst Todd McShay.

Those who were previously viewed by the public as untouchable were laid off, and even Stephen A. Smith — the biggest name in the company — feared he could be next.

The company has also made some notable hires. Earlier this year, ESPN brought in several former Washington Post writers after the newspaper’s sports department was gutted by its own round of layoffs.

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