ESPN will carry out cuts to nearly 30 employees in the coming weeks, primarily in off-camera departments, John Ourand of Puck Media reports.
The latest round of layoffs is partly due to the World Wide Leader’s carriage dispute with YouTube TV, which caused an “unexpected revenue dip last fall.”
ESPN’s linear channels went dark for 15 days on the platform in the middle of football season last November — and left YouTube TV subscribers without access to SEC football and “Monday Night Football,” including games featuring the Chiefs and the Cowboys.
Disney said it had lost $100 million when both sides reached an agreement.
YouTube TV has around 10 million customers and is the country’s fourth-largest cable provider.
It was ESPN’s longest interruption since the network’s inception in 1979.
ESPN is looking to balance its traditional needs in its core business while also making room for investments in new platforms amid a shifting digital media landscape.
The coming layoffs are unrelated to ESPN/Disney’s recent merger with NFL Network, which began this month, according to Puck.
ESPN’s $3 billion purchase of NFL Network — and other assets, including the RedZone channel and NFL Fantasy Football — was finalized as of Jan. 2026.
The NFL received a 10 percent equity stake in ESPN as part of the deal.
The news comes after ESPN let go 20 on-air personalities, including Jeff Van Gundy, Suzy Kolber, and Jalen Rose, in 2023.
Before that, ESPN cut 300 in 2020 — and 400 more employees were affected over three rounds of layoffs from 2015 to 2017.
