ESPN is cutting staff across the network for the first time in three years, with the reductions tied largely to its recent absorption of NFL Network into its operations.

Network chairman Jimmy Pitaro laid out the reasoning in an internal memo circulated Tuesday morning. He wrote that leadership had spent recent months “carefully evaluating” staffing, resources and organizational structure following last year’s roughly $3 billion agreement to bring NFL Network, NFL Fantasy and RedZone distribution rights under the ESPN umbrella. As part of that arrangement, the league received a 10 percent ownership stake in ESPN. Regulators signed off on the deal in January, and former NFL Network staffers officially joined ESPN’s payroll on April 1.

“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,” Pitaro told employees, adding that the company aimed to handle the transition “with compassion and respect.”

Though the bulk of the cuts hit production and support staff, several familiar broadcast personalities were also let go. NFL analyst Ryan Clark, who’d been at ESPN since 2015, found out he’d lost his job mid-broadcast on NFL Live Monday — a day earlier than planned, after word of the layoffs leaked. Clark didn’t return to finish the segment. He later posted on X, offering “prayers and love to all those laid off,” alongside a workout video, and expressed hope that “another door” would open for affected colleagues.

Longtime baseball voice Karl Ravech, an ESPN fixture since 1993 who once anchored its Sunday night baseball coverage before that package shifted to NBC, is also departing — he had called Monday’s Dodgers-Phillies game just before news broke. Former NFL Network reporter Tom Pelissero, on staff since 2017, is out as well, even as ESPN recently locked in contract extensions for insiders Adam Schefter and Ian Rapoport. Additional names swept up in the cuts include injury reporter Stephania Bell, SportsCenter anchor David Lloyd, analyst Charles Davis and former linebacker-turned-commentator Bart Scott.

Cam Newton is among the higher-profile losses, exiting roughly a year after signing an extension to expand his role on First Take.

The reductions arrive alongside broader belt-tightening happening across parent company Walt Disney this week.

ESPN is acquiring the NFL Networks and other National Football League media assets, including the linear rights to the league’s popular RedZone channel, in a deal that will see the NFL get a 10% equity stake in the all-sports network, it was announced Tuesday night.

ESPN will also acquire the NFL’s fantasy product and merge it into its existing platform, making ESPN Fantasy Football the official game of the NFL. In a separate deal, the NFL also agreed to license to ESPN other NFL content and intellectual property that will appear on the NFL Network and other assets.

The NFL Network will be owned and operated by ESPN, which will control the network’s linear and digital rights. The NFL Network will be integrated into ESPN’s upcoming direct-to-consumer streaming product, and it will continue to be available on traditional pay TV providers.

“By combining these NFL media assets with ESPN’s reach and innovation, we’re creating a premier destination for football fans,” ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro said in a statement. “Together, ESPN and the NFL are redefining how fans engage with the game – anytime, anywhere. This deal helps fuel ESPN’s digital future, laying the foundation for an even more robust offering as we prepare to launch our new direct-to-consumer service.”

ESPN platforms will also license three additional NFL games per season, giving it a total of 28. The NFL Network will continue to show seven games per season, with some games shifting to the NFL Network from ESPN’s original schedule. Dates and games were not announced. All of the ESPN-owned games will air on linear and ESPN’s direct-to-consumer platform.

According to the joint statement, ESPN will own broad rights to RedZone, including the trademark, and continue to distribute the channel to pay TV operators. The NFL will continue to own, operate and produce the RedZone channel, and it will keep the rights to distribute it digitally.

The league will also continue to own and operate some of its media businesses, including NFL Films and NFL.com.

NFL Hall of Famer and media personality Shannon Sharpe is currently facing two separate sexual assault lawsuits, following violent incidents in 1995 and 2004 where he was charged with battery.

Plaintiff Michele Bundy Evans, one of Sharpe’s former girlfriends, alleges “controlling and verbal abuse,” violent behavior, and sexual assault.

“He demanded complete control over her time and body, expecting her to be at his house on his schedule, at his command, whenever he called,” wrote attorney Tony Buzbee.

Another woman, who brought charges under the pseudonym Jane Doe, alleged a violent and manipulative relationship with Sharpe that began in 2023, when she was 19 years old. She alleges that she was “violently sexually assaulted and anally raped” in a series of nonconsensual encounters that stretched over months.

Sharpe and his legal team deny the allegations, describing them as “a blatant and cynical attempt to shake down Mr. Sharpe for millions of dollars.” Meanwhile, Sharpe posted a text-message screenshot on X that was seemingly meant to be copied and pasted as his own statement, drawing ridicule from the public.

“My statement is found here and this is the truth. The relationship in question was 100% consensual,” read the statement. “At this juncture I am electing to step aside temporarily from my ESPN duties. I will be devoting time to my family, and responding and dealing with these false and disruptive allegations set against me. I plan to return to ESPN at the start of the NFL preseason.

“I sincerely appreciate the overwhelming and ongoing support I have received from my family, fans, friends, and colleagues.”

Sharpe’s flagship show, Club Shay Shay, along with other shows and podcasts under the Shay Shay network, had reportedly been on the verge of a new $100 million deal. “The podcast deals are off the table” as a result of the allegations coming out, one source said. Sharpe may even be replaced on First Take, with Jason Kelce as a potential option.

Regardless of the lawsuits’ outcome, damage has been done.

One former NFL player is using his voice – to bring awareness to sexual assault experiences by young men.

Ex-NFL cornerback Shareece Wright talked to ESPN last Friday to disclose that he and 11 other plaintiffs, who remain anonymous, were sexually assaulted by a high school athletic trainer when they attended Colton High School in Southern California. They were minors at the time of the incident, per court documents and interviews.

Wright said the goal of revealing the alleged assaults was to show other victims of similar incidents that they can explain what happened to them, too. “The less it’s a secret, the harder it is for it to continue to happen,” Wright said to ESPN.

Tiffany Strauss-Gordon, the alleged perpetrator of the sexual assaults, has denied the allegations raised in a September 2022 lawsuit that originally accused her of assaulting the 12 players. She has not been charged with any crime.

According to the ESPN report, Wright alleged Strauss-Gordon “touched him inappropriately” and had several sexual encounters from 2002 to 2005 across numerous Colton High School football facilities. The lawsuit says Wright and Strauss-Gordon had sex during “several weekly team dinners,” per ESPN.

The age of consent in California is 18, and adults who have sexual contact with minors could face charges for statutory rape.

Wright went public with the allegations more than 20 years after they events originally happened. But he is doing it for his two young sons, who he wants to protect from any similar circumstances.

“Being a dad and having kids and having nieces and nephews that are going to public schools, it just hit home,” Wright said to ESPN. “I just want to make the conversation comfortable for people to speak up about.

The Big Ten Conference announced Thursday morning that it had sold its broadcasting rights to Fox, NBC and ABC for approximately $1 billion per year.

The world of college sports grows more tumultuous by the day, and as players fight for pay and conferences balloon in size, the landmark broadcasting deal only serves to reiterate its massive popularity and raise the stakes even higher.

Starting in 2023, the Big Ten will operate similarly to the NFL and broadcast events on all three primetime networks. College football, in particular, will become especially valuable as the three networks compete for games in valuable Saturday time slots. After nearly three decades with ESPN, however, the conference’s new deal excludes Disney and its massive sports channel.

ESPN was not willing to meet the Big Ten’s requests and is instead focused on nurturing its relationship with the SEC and ACC.

Before this deal was arranged, the conference’s broadcasting rights were worth approximately $430 million. This seven-year deal worth at least $7 billion marks a massive increase in the Big Ten’s value. It also exacerbates existing disputes in college sports.

Since before NIL regulations were passed, college athletes have called for a cut of broadcasting revenue earned by their conferences. In a world where these athletes can now profit from their careers and reputations, a billion-dollar deal is sure to reignite such discussions.

Moreover, the recent decision by UCLA and USC to leave the Pac-12 and join the Big Ten becomes even more important, as those two schools were included in the deal despite their pending status. The addition of two more teams to the 14-team conference sparked a fiery debate among figures in college sports about the nature of “superconferences.”

This broadcasting deal demonstrates the potential profitability of such a large conference, arguably at the expense of competition.

Though the Big Ten has taken vehement stands on both of these issues, leaving athletes out of revenue considerations while advocating for further expansion, commissioner Kevin Warren was clearly unconcerned about the potential fallout while organizing the massive broadcasting deal.

“This provides some financial stability for our schools, and some organizational stability as well,” Warren said to Sports Illustrated. “It’s been fun and intellectually challenging. Now the real work begins.”

As athletes take the first step toward an income, conferences grow to massive sizes and networks vie for lucrative media arrangements, the world of college sports is changing as rapidly as it’s growing. It isn’t losing momentum either.

One of college basketball’s most enduring voices had his moment in front of the camera Wednesday night. At this year’s ESPY Awards, longtime ESPN color commentator Dick Vitale accepted the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance. Following two cancer diagnoses last year, Vitale delivered an impassioned speech in which he thanked his supporters and called for continued cancer funding and research.

Named after basketball coach Jim Valvano, the Jimmy V Award has been presented every year since 2007 to honor someone in the sports community who has persevered through extraordinary challenges. After 33 years of coaching and an improbable NCAA Championship in 1983 with North Carolina State University, Valvano was diagnosed with cancer in 1992. His moving speech at the 1993 ESPYs, two months before his death, remains the defining moment in his many years as a public figure in sports. The V Foundation, established that same year, has since raised nearly $290 million for cancer research.

In his own speech Wednesday night, Vitale honored Valvano’s legacy as both a college basketball legend and an outspoken advocate for cancer fundraising. He recalled the 1993 ESPYs, during which Valvano implored Vitale to get him on the stage despite his failing health. It was the night Valvano went on to share his foundation’s indelible motto: “Don’t give up… don’t ever give up.”

“We got him on that stage and I was mesmerized, blown away, as he electrified the nation,” Vitale said. “And that speech … has created what we’re here today.”

Vitale also addressed his own experience with cancer and thanked his family, friends and ESPN for their loyalty and support. Following his initial diagnosis in August 2021 and a subsequent diagnosis in October, Vitale eventually had to step away from his color commentating duties in January 2022 in order to receive treatment. In April, he announced that he was cancer-free.

To conclude his speech, Vitale asked audience members to stand if they knew someone who had been diagnosed with cancer. No one remained seated, demonstrating Vitale’s point.

“Jimmy’s dream was to beat cancer, and we must do it because it doesn’t discriminate. It comes after all,” Vitale said.

The speech was as much an expression of gratitude as it was a call for further effort, as Vitale took care to commemorate Valvano, his longtime friend, while finding inspiration in his own experience. For a commentator typically associated with sporting crescendos and a handful of instantly recognizable phrases, his words Wednesday night were more deliberate but no less heartfelt.

In a nationally televised South African boxing match, Simiso Buthelezi collapsed in the corner of the ring. A few days later, the boxer was dead. The fight was between Buthelezi and Siphesihle Mnutungwa on June 3. Buthelezi died two days later after slipping into a coma.

The flight was a difficult one, getting all the way to the tenth round before officials ended the fight prematurely. Prior to this, Buthelezi had become disoriented during the fight. After knocking Mntungwa to the ropes, the official separated the fighters. However, when the boxers were prepared to box again, Buthelezi turned away from Mntungwa and started throwing punches in the air before slumping against the ropes, by then the official had stopped the fight. Buthelezi was rushed to the hospital where he died on Tuesday due to bleeding in the brain.

The bout between the two was for the WBF African lightweight title, which Mnutngwa would subsequently take. Since then, Mntungwa has said he’s received backlash from fans and neighbors alike, the backlash that has led him to suicidal thoughts, “I came into heavy criticism and received insults on social media platforms when Simiso was hospitalised; it has taken another level now that he has passed away,” Mntungwa told reporters, “All I wanted was to win the title, which maybe was going to help change my life and that of my family. I am the only one working at home, where I stay with my young brother, my aunt, and her children.”

The events of that title fight were brought up during a match between Alexis Angulo and Edgar Berlanga, broadcasted on ESPN. During the fight, ESPN broadcaster Tim Bradley referenced the now-viral video of Buthelezi boxing the air saying, “I’ve seen worse. There’s a video circulating right now where a guy actually knocked another guy out of the ring. He got back in the ring and the other guy actually started boxing a ghost in the corner.”

Bradley later apologized for the comments, saying he was unaware that Buthelezi had passed away, “I want to take the time out right now and apologize for that last statement that I made about that guy that was actually punching someone in the corner. He actually passed away a few days ago. I had no clue that he passed away, and I just want to give my utmost apologies to his family and to his loved ones.”

Boxing South Africa is currently conducting an independent medical review of the incident.

For 39 hours, sports fans who rely on YouTube TV to watch games were outraged at the timing of a Walt Disney-owned channel blackout.

The blackout went into effect at 11:59 p.m. EST on Friday, which happened to be right in the middle of ESPN‘s broadcast of the Los Angeles Lakers–Minnesota Timberwolves game.

“Worst timing ever! You did this during Bowl season, NBA Christmas games, and NFL playoff races!? So disappointing,” one YouTube TV subscriber tweeted.

Disney and Google, which owns YouTube TV, were able to come to an agreement Sunday afternoon.

“We appreciate Google’s collaboration to reach fair terms that are consistent with the market, and we’re thrilled that our robust lineup of live sports and news plus kids, family and general entertainment programming is in the process of being restored to YouTube TV subscribers across the country,” Disney said in a statement.

YouTube TV carries 18 Disney-owned channels including ABC, ESPN, National Geographic, FX and Disney Jr. Before the new distribution agreement was struck, YouTube TV had announced that they would be decreasing the cost of their services by $15 to $49.99 per month to make up for the lost channels. With the new deal, the $64.99 cost will stay in place, but YouTube has offered to honor their previous discounted cost to any member who was affected by the blackout.

“For active members who have not yet received that $15 discount on their monthly bill, you will automatically receive a one-time credit on your next bill with no action needed,” YouTube TV said. “For members who were impacted and have initiated the cancellation process, we would love to welcome you back.”

Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden has resigned after three full seasons after a 10-year-old email chain surfaced and exposed his racist and anti-gay comments.

This was Gruden’s second stint with the Raiders. He was head coach from 1998 to 2001 and recently, in 2018, reunited with Oakland before they moved cities to become the Las Vegas Raiders in 2020. He had found success with the Raiders, finishing first in the AFC for two consecutive years. The biggest highlight of his career, however, was winning the Super Bowl against Tampa Bay in 2002.

Yet, his career will not be remembered for these accolades but more so for having to step down in disgrace. An email chain that spans over the course of seven years has revealed Gruden’s true colors. In the emails, there are racist comments directed toward the executive director of the NFL Players Association, DeMaurice Smith, and anti-gay comments aimed at a former St. Louis Rams player and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. Throughout the email chain, he also commented on several owners, players, coaches and the media while using obscene and hurtful language.

Many of the emails were sent to Bruce Allen, the former general manager of Tampa Bay and Washington.

On Monday night, Gruden released a statement saying, “I have resigned as Head Coach of the Las Vegas Raiders. I love the Raiders and do not want to be a distraction. Thank you to all the players, coaches, staff, and fans of the Raider Nation. I’m sorry, I never meant to hurt anyone.”

Gruden was on a ten-year hiatus from coaching in the NFL at the time that these emails were written and was a lead analyst for Monday Night Football on ESPN.

ESPN commented on the emails by saying, “The comments are clearly repugnant under any circumstances.”

These emails were brought to light after five games of the 2021 NFL campaign. The Raiders (3-2) are heading into Week 6 against the Denver Broncos. For now, assistant coach Rich Bisaccia will take the reigns as interim head coach.

Emmy-winning podcaster Katie Nolan no longer has a job at ESPN. The news broke after she wrote her goodbyes and thank-yous via Twitter. She had been working with the company since 2017.

Nolan gained momentum as a blogger and YouTuber in the early 2010s and has had a great deal of success producing content since then — enough to catch ESPN’s eye. 

The Boston-native hosted the ESPN podcast Sports? With Katie Nolan, where she and her producer and co-host, Ashley Braband, would unpack and analyze sports and current events loosely related to sports. Their podcast was considered fun and creative while bringing to light social inequities in sports.

However, the duo was relegated to one when Braband was laid off in November 2020. Had Nolan not signed a contract prior to knowing of Braband’s departure, she would have left as well. You can hear the indignation in her voice as she discusses the situation during an episode of the podcast — listen below:

So, nearly a year later, Nolan bid ESPN a farewell by telling her fans “the obvious thing has happened.” She expressed her gratitude to colleagues and fans and wrote that she made “incredible friends and valuable mistakes” during her four-year run.

On September 13, ESPN premiered the highly anticipated four-part 30 for 30 documentary about the iconic 1986 New York Mets. Directed by Nick Davis and executive produced by Jimmy Kimmel, Once Upon a Time in Queens takes Mets fans on a thrilling trip down memory lane, interweaving the key developments that set the foundation for the team’s eventual 1986 World Series title with the socio-economic and cultural transformations simultaneously occurring in New York.

Once Upon a Time in Queens shows incredible archival footage of the ’86 season, particularly a never-before-seen shot of Mookie Wilson that tracks the outfielder from the batter’s box to the clubhouse after hitting the famous Game 6 groundball. It also includes entertaining unfiltered interviews featuring the Miracle Mets’ most colorful personalities. Keith Hernandez recounting tales of Gary Carter‘s bravado, all the while petting his cat Hadji, and Lenny Dykstra giving his take on anything are well worth the watch.

However, the film doesn’t shy away from capturing the more troubling themes that partly contributed to the Mets’ decline, such as players’ drug usage and the unfettered pursuit of hedonism.

I was fortunate enough to get to speak with Mookie Wilson and get his opinion on the documentary. When asked about how this project differs from other ones made about the ’86 Mets, Wilson said, “It is different because there’ve been like millions of articles and books about that team, but it was from a literal perspective. This was actually visual, and I think people get a better understanding of the characters and what made that team special … We don’t have to interpret what the words mean, the context and the atmosphere in which the words were written … It was much more interesting because that’s the first time I’ve ever seen it like that, and the guys themselves actually talk about the situations.”

Given that Wilson played for the Mets from 1980 until 1989, there weren’t any details presented in Once Upon a Time in Queens that surprised him. However, he acknowledged that the accounts of some of the players’ paternal issues, namely regarding Hernandez and Strawberry, were insightful.

“I met Keith’s brother —I’ve never met his father —so I got a little bit more information about how that relationship was,” he said. “And Straw, I never met his father, I met his mother and his brother, heard about him but that was it.”

As to what fans and young players should take away from the documentary, Wilson reasoned, “I feel simply, if you don’t pay attention to your history, it’s destined to repeat itself. Hopefully, young players, and fans as well, will not make the same mistakes. I think anyone will tell you that the biggest question is — as great as that team was — why didn’t we win more? Why didn’t we win another World Series? And basically, we kind of self-destructed…. “Don’t let success be the main obstacles, you can be a victim of your own success and I think that’s what the Mets were.”

Wilson explained that the film also provides a lesson in team management, a nod to then-general manager Frank Cashen’s decision to release Kevin Mitchell amid his purported negative influence on Strawberry and Gooden.

“Where the club did get kind of sidetracked with a lot of different things was that management overreacted. ‘We may not be able to fix this so let’s just get rid of em.’ Which was the wrong thing instead of trying to work within internally. So there’s a lesson there for everybody, players, management.”

“I think everyone had the same impression that I had about Mitchell and how he was actually misunderstood by management,” he said. “That’s something I already knew but to see the other players felt the same way, that was good because we never really talked about it.”

Once Upon a Time in Queens can be streamed on ESPN+ and the ESPN app.

According to The Athletic, the Philadelphia 76ers are willing to engage in conversations regarding trades for point guard Ben Simmons. The 76ers reportedly have high standards and expect a huge package in return for Simmons, a three-time All-Star.

Simmons’ agent, Rich Paul, has met with Philadelphia management at least once since the conclusion of the season regarding the future of his client.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Simmons and head coach Doc Rivers have met to discuss future plans for improvement, specifically regarding the point guard’s shooting.

A majority of the blame for the 76ers’ second-round playoff series loss to the Atlanta Hawks has been directed towards Simmons, who averaged 9.9 points per game and shot 15-of-45 from the field in the series (33.3% FG). In the final three games, Simmons attempted just 14 shots, while only attempting three in the fourth quarter of the entire series.

In June, it was reported that the 76ers were committed to keeping Simmons as a major part of the franchise. Simmons has four years and $147 million left on his contract. He is still just 24 years old.

Teams around the league are speculating the 76ers’ interest in trade deals and overall expectations. An Eastern Conference executive told Sports Illustrated, “You won’t get another ‘star’ for him. They might have to attach a young player just to move him.”

“People can say he is good in all these other areas, but with today’s game, shooting is the most important skill. Are teams going to take a chance to build around a guy that is scared to shoot?” said another executive in their own interview with Sports Illustrated.

After the 76ers were knocked out of the playoffs, Philadelphia’s president of basketball operations, Daryl Morey, was asked about Simmons’ future with the team. “We have a very strong group we believe in,” he said. “None of us can predict the future of what is going to happen. We love what Ben brings. We love what Joel Embiid brings. We love what Tobias Harris brings. In terms of what’s next, we’ll do what is best for the 76ers to give us the best chance to win a championship with every single player on the roster.”

Maria Taylor has broken her silence regarding the recent report released about fellow analyst Rachel Nichols.

Taylor posted the following quote to both Twitter and Instagram:

“During the dark times I always remember that I am in this position to open doors and light the path that others walk down … I’ve taken some punches but that just means I’m still in the fight. Remember to lift as you climb and always KEEP RISING.”

Taylor has worked for ESPN since 2013. A recent report asserted Nichols complained about Taylor’s increase in coverage work. Nichols alleged that her increase was due to ESPN seeking to diversify its crew network, even if it came at her expense.

Taylor’s contract with ESPN is set to expire on July 20. She is seeking $8 million annually and reportedly rejected ESPN’s initial offer of a $5 million annual salary.

Rachel Nichols will not serve as the sideline reporter for the 2021 NBA Finals, according to ESPN. Instead, Malika Andrews will fill the role.

The switch is being made after a New York Times article detailed Nichols’s displeasure with fellow reporter Maria Taylor getting more air time. Audio obtained by the Times of Nichols revealed the following quote:

“If you need to give her more things to do because you are feeling pressure about your crappy longtime record on diversity—which, by the way, I know personally from the female side of it—like, go for it. Just find it somewhere else.”

ESPN released a statement on the unfolding matter. “We believe this is the best decision for all concerned in order to keep the focus on the NBA Finals,” the issued statement read. Nichols will still be the primary host of The Jump.

Nichols expressed deep sorrow in a reactionary statement to the report:

“I … don’t want to let this moment pass without saying how much I respect, how much I value our colleagues here at ESPN, how deeply, deeply sorry I am for disappointing those I hurt, particularly Maria Taylor, and how grateful I am to be part of this outstanding team.”

Nichols has worked with the network since 2004, with a brief hiatus from 2013 to 2016.

On Monday, ESPN host Rachel Nichols apologized for comments made in leaked audio about her colleague Maria Taylor.

The leaked audio was first reported by the New York Times on Sunday. The leaked comments were made by Nichols in July of 2020 after ESPN told her that Taylor, who is Black, would be hosting the NBA Finals instead of her. Nichols was talking to Adam Mendelsohn, an adviser to LeBron James, seeking advice, unaware that her video camera was on and was recording her.

“I wish Maria Taylor all the success in the world — she covers football, she covers basketball,” Nichols said in one clip. “If you need to give her more things to do because you are feeling pressure about your crappy longtime record on diversity — which, by the way, I know personally from the female side of it — like, go for it. Just find it somewhere else. You are not going to find it from me or taking my thing away.”

“I just want them to go somewhere else — it’s in my contract, by the way; this job is in my contract in writing,” Nichols added.

The contents were recorded to a video server at ESPN headquarters, where any number of employees could have accessed it. One person recorded a copy of the call on a cellphone and the audio was soon spread throughout the company. The only person disciplined over the incident was a digital video producer who told ESPN’s human resources department she shared the video with Taylor. The producer, a Black woman, was suspended two weeks without pay and has since left the company.

Nichols explained to the Times she was “unloading to a friend about ESPN’s process, not about Maria.” She said she reached out to Taylor via texts and phone calls, but never received a response.

After the comments were leaked, Taylor declined to host NBA Countdown during the finals. She eventually changed her mind, but only on the condition that Nichols does not appear on the show. ESPN agreed but ignored her condition by airing prerecorded segments with Nichols that appeared to be happening live.

As a result, the segments of other sideline reporters then became a mix of live and prerecorded clips. ESPN later threatened to prerecord every reporters’ segment on NBA Countdown if Taylor continued to “refuse to interact” with Nichols. This led to a blowup on a preshow call between the show’s commentators: Taylor, Jalen Rose, Adrian Wojnarowski, Jay Williams and ESPN executives.

Soon after, ESPN began allowing all sideline reporters to air their segments live on NBA Countdown.

Taylor’s contract expires in just a few weeks, right in the middle of the NBA Finals.

On Monday, Nichols made a public apology to Taylor for the comments she made. “So the first thing they teach you in journalism school is don’t be the story. And I don’t plan to break that rule today or distract from a fantastic Finals,” Nichols said to open The Jump on ESPN 2. “But I also don’t want to let this moment pass without saying how much I respect, how much I value our colleagues here at ESPN. How deeply, deeply sorry I am for disappointing those I hurt, particularly Maria Taylor, and how grateful I am to be part of this outstanding team.”

Former NBA players Richard Jefferson and Kendrick Perkins, Nichols’ co-stars on The Jump, expressed support for Nichols.

Hockey legend Mark Messier has signed a multi-year contract with ESPN to cover the network’s NHL analysis.

Messier will now provide a studio voice on hockey for ABC, ESPN, ESPN+ and Hulu.

Messier released a public statement on his newest deal, part of which reads:

“My passion for the game is as strong as it has ever been and I am looking forward to sharing that passion, plus my insights and analysis with the sport’s incredible fans. The NHL is beginning a new era with ESPN and The Walt Disney Company — with an exciting, evolving game and phenomenally talented players — and I am thrilled to be a part of the team.”

Messier is as qualified as anyone to analyze the NHL. He is a Hall of Fame inductee, played for 25 years, netted 694 goals, collected 1,887 total points and is a five-time Stanley Cup champion.

ESPN vice president Norby Williamson stated, “As a six-time Stanley Cup Champion, he will bring incredible insight, knowledge and analysis to ESPN and The Walt Disney Company that will both resonate with fans, and connect more and more of them to the game and to the league.”

ESPN analysis and coverage of the NHL will begin for the 2021-2022 season for the first time since 2004.

The NHL will have another home for broadcasting its games and the Stanley Cup. The NHL and Turner Sports have agreed to a seven-year rights agreement that will begin in the 2021-22 season.

The deal is worth $225 million per year, and it will effectively end the league’s 16-year partnership with NBC. Not only that, but the NHL had previously signed a seven-year deal worth $400 million per year with ESPN. The deal made ESPN its primary rights holder next season.

Regarding the departure of the league from NBC Sports, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman explained, “Despite a lot of speculation to the contrary, we part friends, each understanding why we made the decisions that we both made to reach this point,” Bettman said.

The latest deal with Turner Sports means that the league has increased its rights fees to more than $625 million per year. This is an increase compared to its previous value of $300 million in agreements with NBCUniversal and, for streaming, Disney.

Turner Sports will present up to 72 regular-season games and half of the first three Stanley Cup playoffs rounds each season. The Stanley Cups that Turner will host will air on TNT. ESPN will air the Stanley Cup on ABC when it hosts the big event. Part of the deals made will assure live streaming and simulcast rights for HBO Max and expansive digital and highlights rights for Bleacher Report.

Turner Sports will also have “TV Everywhere” rights that will enable subscribers across all WarnerMedia platforms to access NHL games and related programming. The NHL’s streaming package, NHL.TV is also moving to ESPN+ as part of the deal.

Bettman stated that the rights for the World Cup of Hockey will be negotiated with media partners when the league and the NHLPA jointly decide to move forward with the next edition. ESPN last hosted the 2016 edition of the World Cup of Hockey.

While the NHL is set to depart from NBC, it will still retain the rights to air the next two winter games. “There are still a lot of things that have nothing to do with NBC that will have to be resolved before we go to the Olympics in Beijing [in 2022],” Bettman said.

On Monday, ESPN fired former NBA star and current NBA analyst Paul Pierce after an Instagram Live video surfaced on Friday night that showed women who may have been exotic dancers. There was also apparent marijuana smoking, according to The Associated Press. The news was first reported by Barett Sports Media.

ESPN declined to comment on the reports, but a source familiar with the situation confirmed that Pierce and the network had “parted ways.” Following this news, Pierce, also known as “The Truth,” tweeted about his prospects but did not mention the video or the firing.

“Big Things coming soon stay tuned make sure u smile #Truthshallsetufree,” read Pierce’s tweet.

Most notably, Pierce was a 10-time All-Star and was the MVP of the 2008 NBA Finals with the Celtics. He played 19 seasons in the NBA. He has worked for ESPN since 2017 and appeared on shows including NBA Countdown and The Jump. Before being hired, Pierce appeared as a guest on the network before being hired to help cover the NBA finals.

It is unclear if anyone will replace Pierce on ESPN’s NBA programming or if the network will rotate other personalities to fill his role.

Pedro Gomez, the long-time ESPN reporter, has died unexpectedly on Sunday. Gomez was 58 years old.

On Sunday evening, the official ESPN issued a press release on Twitter from chairman James Pitaro confirming the news.

“We are shocked and saddened to learn that our friend and colleague Pedro Gomez has passed away,” the statement read. “Pedro was an elite journalist at the highest level, and his professional accomplishments are universally recognized. More importantly, Pedro was a kind, dear friend to us all. Our hearts are with Pedro’s family and all who love him at this extraordinarily difficult time.”

Gomez started his career in 1992 as a beat writer for the Oakland Athletics for the San Jose Mercury News and the Sacramento Bee. In 1997, he started writing for the Arizona Republic as a sports columnist and national baseball writer until 2003. Gomez started working for ESPN in 2003 as their SportsCenter reporter. The reporter remained with ESPN until his unexpected death.

No cause of death was revealed, but a family statement was released to remember the late Gomez. “Pedro was far more than a media personality,” it said. “He was a Dad, loving husband, loyal friend, coach, and mentor, he was our everything and his kids’ biggest believer.”

ESPN’s latest 30 for 30 Long Gone Summer, featured the Summer of 1998 where Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire were in a heated race to break the single season home run record. McGwire won the race, but it would later come out that both players used performance enhancing drugs as a means to boost their numbers. 

For Sosa specifically, the historic season made him the face of the Chicago Cubs franchise, but when it came out that Sosa used PEDs and a corked bat in 2003 although claiming still to this day that he never used steroids, the relationship between the Cubs and Sosa took a turn that has not changed since. 

During the documentary, Sosa asked why the Cubs worried about him, when steroid use was immensely common during that era. “Why do they worry about me when pretty much everybody in that era did [steroids]?”

Sosa would be traded to the Baltimore Orioles following the 2004 season, which ended his 13-year career tenure with the Cubs. Since retiring from baseball, Sosa has not gone back to Wrigley Field. In speaking with ESPN, Sosa said, “What I don’t like is taking the blame for somebody else. That was a year that we had to do what we had to do. I feel [grateful] to the Chicago Cubs, they gave me the opportunity to be the player that I was….”

Sosa noted that he holds out hope about time healing all wounds and his relationship with the Cubs eventually returns to close to where it once was. “I believe time will heal everything,” he said. “My case is not a hard case to look at. I believe that in the near future somebody, a new owner… somebody [will] bring me back.”

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