ESPN plans further layoffs affecting veteran on-air talent and NFL Network staff
ESPN is preparing to dismiss longtime broadcaster Karl Ravech and several NFL Network employees, including insider Tom Pelinson, as part of a broader restructuring that also targets behind-the-scenes personnel.
ESPN is set to terminate veteran sportscaster Karl Ravech, who has been with the network since 1993 and has served as a play-by-play announcer for Major League Baseball, a host of "Baseball Tonight" and a longtime "SportsCenter" anchor. Ravech, 61, called Monday's Phillies-Dodgers game before the expected layoff was confirmed to him on Tuesday morning. The network also plans to let go NFL analyst Ryan Clark, who was removed from "NFL Live" on Monday, and NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero, a prominent figure on the channel.
Sources familiar with the moves said the majority of the cuts will affect behind-the-scenes staff at NFL Network, which ESPN acquired in January through a partnership that gave the league a 10 percent stake in the network. The layoffs are part of a broader effort to integrate ESPN's operations in Bristol and New York with NFL Network's Los Angeles base.
ESPN declined to comment on the pending dismissals. Chairman Jimmy Pitaro is expected to issue a memo explaining the rationale for the reductions, which come as Disney, ESPN's parent company, prepares for another round of workforce reductions. The network has undergone several layoffs since 2015, including a 2020 round that saw on-air personalities such as Jeff Van Gundy, Keyshawn Johnson and Jalen Rose depart.