Bad Day In Bristol: ESPN Axing 20 On-Air Talents

ESPN’s excruciating talent layoffs will reach a crescendo today with roughly 20 on-air personalities losing their jobs, a source told Front Office Sports.

The cuts include Max Kellerman — whose “This Just In” show was expected to be replaced by one hosted by Pat McAfee — and longtime NBA analyst Jeff Van Gundy, sources confirmed to FOS. NBA analyst Jalen Rose, and NFL analyst Keyshawn Johnson were among the layoffs first reported by The New York Post.

“Some big legacy names are going to be moving on,” warned one source. “Their NFL coverage is going to look different next year.”

LaPhonso Ellis, one of ESPN’s signature men’s college basketball analysts was also among the cuts, according to a source. Ellis has served as an analyst on “College GameDay” with Jay Bilas, Seth Greenberg and Rece Davis since the 2019-2020 season.

Kellerman and Johnson were expected to lose their roles on their ESPN Radio show, which also includes Jay Williams as a co-host. None of the three appeared on Friday morning’s show.

Van Gundy, a former New York Knicks coach, spent 16 years on ESPN’s top NBA announce team with Mark Jackson and Mike Breen. Rose previously served as co-host of “Get Up” with Mike Greenberg and the since-departed Michelle Beadle.

“Jeff Van Gundy is a stunner. He was making millions,” said one source. “He and [Mike] Breen are the most watchable on ESPN’s NBA coverage.”

Following ESPN’s layoffs of Ellis, Van Gundy and Rose, the next shoe to drop is the NFL coverage team.

Here’s how the layoffs are expected to unfold on Friday.

Starting at 9 a.m. ET the on-air talents will get a phone call informing they’re “no longer contributing to ESPN,” said one source.

Most of those who are let go will be bought out of their guaranteed contracts. They will still get their full pay. But won’t appear anymore on ESPN platforms.

If they choose to take another job, they must negotiate an exit from their current contracts with ESPN. That will likely involve giving up part of the money ESPN owes them.

Unfortunately, ESPN’s slow-motion layoffs aren’t over. 

Once today’s talent exercise is concluded, ESPN managers will take a microscope to the rest of its long-term talent contracts. 

Many won’t be renewed. That process is expected to take up to 12 months.

Front Office Sports previously broke the news that ESPN is not renewing the deals of NFL analyst Rob Ninkovich, NHL analyst Chris Chelios and popular SportsCenter anchor Neil Everett are not being renewed.

ESPN won’t publicly release the names, leaving it up to talent to share the news of their departure.

The Worldwide Leader in Sports employs about 5,000 people worldwide; 4,000 on its headquarters campus in Bristol, Conn.

“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. 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,” said ESPN in a statement. 

“This is an extremely challenging process, involving individuals who have had tremendous impact on our company. These difficult decisions, based more on overall efficiency than merit, will help us meet our financial targets and ensure future growth.”

The six-month-long process of layoffs that began at parent Walt Disney Co. and extended to ESPN has devastated the morale of the self-proclaimed Worldwide Leader in Sports.

During a previous round of off-camera cutbacks, ESPN lost veterans such as beloved communications ace Mike Soltys, Emmy Award-winning producer John Dahl and ESPN+ chief Russell Wolff.

“This place feels like a morgue,” said one employee in Bristol.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is a developing story that will be updated throughout the day.