Apr. 26, 2017 will not be remembered fondly for the sports media industry, as ESPN executed massive layoffs that included some of the most prominent personalities, both on-air and in the writing world, at the network. While the layoffs were already wide-ranging, a tidbit has emerged from the Charlotte Observer that could have long-range impact beyond specific individuals.
The report brings word that ESPN will be moving its ESPNU studios from Charlotte back to Bristol, where the majority of the network is housed.
As part of a round of about 100 layoffs company wide, the sports network is moving its ESPNU studio operation from Charlotte to Bristol, Conn., where ESPN is based, a source close to the matter told the Observer. A few ESPNU positions will remain in Charlotte, primarily the people responsible for producing the large number of events that air on U.
On the optimistic side, “fewer than 10 people” are reportedly being laid off from the Charlotte office and they will be given a small window with regard to continued employment.
Those who lost their jobs in Charlotte will be able to apply to other jobs at ESPN offices. One potential area they could turn to down the line is the ACC Network, which ESPN plans to launch in 2019, though it has not yet decided where it will base the network’s operations.
Still, this is yet another sign that the network is cost-cutting and now the company’s main presence in Charlotte will be as the site of the SEC Network. Just how much this move affects the day-to-day operations of ESPNU remains to be seen but at least one on-air host for the network was a part of the layoffs. Details will continue to emerge but, if nothing else, the news continues to be ugly for those in sports media as a whole.
