ESPN is going through another round of layoffs Monday, this time stemming from its purchase of the NFL Network.
Both will target on-air talent and behind-the-scenes employees during the cutbacks, according to sources not authorized to speak publicly. The layoffs are part of wider cutbacks at Disney previewed in April by CEO Josh D’Amaro and a consolidation of employees at ESPN and the NFL Network.
Karl Ravech, a veteran ESPNer who called the Phillies’ win over the Los Angeles Dodgers Monday night, is among those expected to be let go, according to The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand.
Ravech has been with ESPN since 1993, covering baseball for more than three decades in a variety of roles, including as the voice of Sunday Night Baseball for four seasons. He had been slated to call the Little League World Series for ESPN next month.
ESPN declined to comment.
Layoffs arrived early for Ryan Clark, the former NFL defender turned TV analyst who has been a star at ESPN for the past decade.
As first reported by The Athletic, Clark was taking off the air midway through NFL Live Monday and informed he was being let go after reporters began inquiring about his status with the network.
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Clark has yet to speak publicly about the matter. He joined ESPN in 2015 and has been a prominent personality across the network’s NFL programming and daytime shows, including Monday Night Countdown with former Eagles star Jason Kelce.
In 2014, Clark signed a three-year contract extension after going public with his dissatisfaction with the network
ESPN purchased the NFL Network and NFL Media in February in a deal valued between $2.5 billion and $3 billion. As part of the deal, all NFL Network staffers and personalities became ESPN employees, and the league took a 10% stake in the network.
NFL Network isn’t going anywhere, and will still have original programming, including Good Morning Football. NFL insider Ian Rapoport, among the network’s biggest stars, already signed a multiyear contract with ESPN in April.
It’s the second round of layoffs at ESPN in recent months. In the spring, about 30 behind-the-scenes staffers were let go as part of companywide layoffs that reportedly impacted around 1,000 employees.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.