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ESPN is carrying out a wave of layoffs this week, with several on-air personalities reportedly among those let go, including NFL analyst Ryan Clark, NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero and longtime broadcaster Karl Ravech.
The network has not officially released a name-by-name list of those affected. But reports from The Athletic, Front Office Sports and Awful Announcing indicate that Bart Scott, Cam Newton and Charles Davis are also among those who have been let go or are expected to be affected. Newsweek has reached out to ESPN for comment.
ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro confirmed the layoffs in a company-wide memo sent to staff at 10 a.m. ET on Tuesday. The memo did not identify specific employees.
“Over the past several months, we’ve made significant progress integrating the NFL assets that we acquired into ESPN,” Pitaro wrote. “Throughout this process, we have taken the time to carefully evaluate our collective teams, resources and organizational structure to best position us for the future. As a result, we had to make some difficult decisions about job impacts that we will be communicating today.”
Pitaro added that “while most of the job impacts are tied to the acquisition, we will also notify colleagues in other parts of the company today that their positions have been impacted.” He said ESPN was “committed to treating employees with compassion and respect” as they navigate the transition.
An ESPN spokesperson declined to comment on individual departures, including Clark’s, according to Front Office Sports.
What Prompted ESPN Layoffs?
The layoffs are ESPN’s first major round in three years and are largely tied to its acquisition of NFL Network.
The deal, announced last August, also included NFL Fantasy and the rights to distribute the RedZone channel to cable and satellite operators. In exchange, the NFL received a 10 percent equity stake in ESPN. Government regulators approved the deal in January, and NFL Network employees officially became part of ESPN on April 1.
While most of the layoffs affect production and other behind-the-scenes employees, some on-air talent has also been let go.
The cuts are also part of broader reductions taking place across the Walt Disney Company this week. The Athletic reported that the layoffs are tied to “broader cuts” at the parent company as it contends with rising sports rights fees and the continued decline of the traditional cable bundle.
Roughly 10 on-air personalities have been let go so far.
Why Did Ryan Clark Get Fired? What We Know
Clark’s exit was the first to become public, unfolding during an episode of NFL Live on Monday. He joined ESPN as an analyst in 2015, following a 13-year NFL career.
A person familiar with the situation said that Clark was originally scheduled to be informed of the decision Tuesday morning. But after news of the layoffs leaked, the timeline was moved up. He was told directly by company executives rather than learning of the decision elsewhere, according to the person, who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss personnel decisions.
Clark did not finish his appearance on the show.
While the cuts have been described in reports as primarily financial, The Athletic reported that Clark’s on-air conduct also played a role in ESPN’s decision. The outlet reported that executives were unhappy with a 2025 on-air dispute between Clark and fellow analyst Peter Schrager during an episode of Get Up. The dispute was later resolved.
Front Office Sports reported that Clark was said to be on “thin ice” at ESPN last September following a series of apologies.
Clark had also drawn attention in past years for speaking out on social and political issues during ESPN appearances. He also made his contract negotiations public in 2024, according to reports.
Clark addressed the broader layoffs in a post on X on Tuesday, alongside a video of himself working out.
“Sending prayers and love to all those laid off today by ESPN,” he wrote. “So many of you have poured your life into that company, & I know how you’re feeling right now. My hope is as this door closes another opens for you all. God bless!”
ESPN has not issued an official comment on the specific circumstances of Clark’s departure.
Who Was Laid Off at ESPN?
The layoffs have affected on-air talent and behind-the-scenes employees, with roughly 10 on-air personalities reportedly among those let go so far. ESPN has not released a complete list of affected employees, but reports have identified several prominent names across its NFL, MLB, radio and studio programming.
Ryan Clark
Clark, 46, spent more than a decade at ESPN as an NFL analyst after joining the network in 2015 following a 13-year NFL playing career, most notably with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
He became a regular contributor across ESPN’s NFL programming, including NFL Live, Get Up and Monday Night Countdown.
His layoff, which took place while he was on the air Monday, was the first public sign of the ESPN cuts. Clark did not finish his final show after learning of the decision.
Bart Scott
Bart Scott, a former Baltimore Ravens and New York Jets linebacker, also was let go, according to Front Office Sports.
Scott worked primarily on the radio side, co-hosting a show on ESPN New York alongside Chris Carlin while also making occasional studio appearances as an NFL analyst.
He joined ESPN New York in 2017, first appearing on The Michael Kay Show and Humpty & Canty. He became a full-time host in 2020 alongside Alan Hahn before pairing with Carlin in 2025. Scott also worked as an NFL analyst for CBS from 2013 to 2017.
Tom Pelissero
Pelissero is an NFL Network insider who joined the network in 2017 after covering the Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers earlier in his career.
A Boston College graduate, he began his career in local radio and newspapers in Minnesota and Wisconsin before joining USA Today, where he was part of a team that won an Associated Press Sports Editors Top 10 award.
At NFL Network, Pelissero emerged as one of the league’s top news breakers on social media, working alongside fellow insider Ian Rapoport.
ESPN recently signed Rapoport and fellow NFL insider Adam Schefter to contract extensions.
Karl Ravech
Ravech, one of ESPN’s longest-tenured broadcasters, was let go after joining the network in 1993.
He was calling Major League Baseball games up until Monday night, when he was behind the microphone for a Los Angeles Dodgers-Philadelphia Phillies game.
Ravech served as the voice of ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball from 2022 to 2025, before the broadcast package moved to NBC this season.
During his career at ESPN, he also called college basketball games and hosted SportsCenter and Baseball Tonight.
Cam Newton
A former NFL Most Valuable Player, Newton was among those laid off despite signing a new multiyear contract with ESPN last year.
He had become a regular Monday contributor on First Take alongside Stephen A. Smith.
Newton is expected to remain part of CBS’ college football coverage this fall, according to Awful Announcing, which described his exit as one of the more surprising cuts given the recent contract signing.
Charles Davis
Davis, a longtime NFL Network draft and NFL Scouting Combine analyst, is expected to be let go as part of the layoffs, The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand reported.
He remains the No. 1 college football analyst on CBS’ Big Ten afternoon games and is set to take over as CBS’ lead college football analyst alongside Brad Nessler this fall, succeeding Gary Danielson.
Davis’ expected departure was reported Tuesday.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Kate Nalepinski and Dave Siminoff.
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