About 20 of ESPN's most prominent on-air commentators are being laid off as part of cutbacks by Disney, the network's owner. Those who lost their jobs include Jeff Van Gundy, Jalen Rose, Max Kellerman, Steve Young, Suzy Kolber, Keyshawn Johnson, Ashley Brewer, Todd McShay, and LaPhonso Ellis. "Given the current environment, ESPN has determined it necessary to identify some additional cost savings in the area of public-facing commentator salaries," the network said in a statement, per CNN. Disney CEO Bob Iger announced in February that Disney was cutting 7,000 jobs. At ESPN, writers, editors, production employees, and executives already have been laid off, per Yahoo Sports.
The critically praised Van Gundy, 61, is an analyst on ESPN's top NBA team; he's worked there for 16 years, ever since he retired as a coach. Rose, a former NBA player, was a studio analyst. Young, an NFL Hall of Famer, was dropped along with another quarterback turned analyst, Matt Hasselbeck, per Sports Illustrated. McShay has been a top NFL draft analyst for ESPN, per USA Today. Kolber, host of the NFL pregame program "Monday Night Countdown," announced her departure Friday on Twitter.
"Today I join the many hard-working colleagues who have been laid off," Kolber wrote. She called the news heartbreaking but described her time at ESPN as a good run, saying she's grateful for her 38-year career overall. "Longevity for a woman in this business is something I'm especially proud of," she said. Joon Lee, a baseball reporter, also announced his layoff with a tweet. "Really excited to see whatever comes next," he wrote. (More ESPN stories.)
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