If you’re curious about who at ESPN might feel secure after the network’s recent layoffs, you’re not alone. An ESPN historian has indicated that employees are feeling more uncertain about their job security than ever before. On Monday, author James Andrew Miller joined The Bill Simmons Podcast to discuss Saturday Night Live‘s 50th anniversary special, but the conversation soon turned to the current atmosphere in Bristol for ESPN employees.
“Freud — one of his definitions of maturity is the ability to handle ambiguity. So I think there are a lot of people becoming mature. Or else they’re drinking themselves silly on the weekends,” said the author of Those Guys Have All the Fun: Inside the World of ESPN. “Because it used to be — you know this — particularly because ESPN’s in Bristol, Connecticut, you had to move your ass up to Central Connecticut, put your kids in school, and settle down for 25, 30 years. At CBS Sports, if you’re unhappy, you can just get recruited by NBC, which is just across town. Now, those jobs aren’t as safe as they once were, and many employees are struggling, especially after some real legends were let go. There’s a palpable level of insecurity that has never existed before.”
Miller and Simmons shared similar views, with Simmons confirming, “That’s what I’m hearing as well.” In many respects, Miller’s remarks are quite telling. If prominent figures like Samantha Ponder, Robert Griffin III, Zach Lowe, Steve Young, Suzy Kolber, Jalen Rose, Jeff Van Gundy, Mark Jackson, Max Kellerman, and Keyshawn Johnson aren’t secure in their positions, who can be? The recent departures of high-ranking executives like Norby Williamson and the ensuing organizational restructures further emphasize why ESPN employees might not view the company as a bastion of stability at the moment.
Miller also mentioned that 2025 could be a transformative year for ESPN, with the launch of the “Flagship” streaming service set for this fall. As the company takes its first steps toward a direct-to-consumer model, it will be intriguing to see how this change impacts ESPN’s business strategy and employee morale.
