ESPN to lay off nearly 300 staff

ESPN has confirmed in a memo to employees that it plans to lay off nearly 300 employees, a total of 4% of its 8000-strong workforce, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Departments across the company will be affected, including distribution, advertising, technology, administration, content and others.

ESPN President John Skipper said in the memo that they are consolidating teams in distribution to reflect that cable TV providers have decreased due to big mergers over the past few years.

It will also create a team to deal with both traditional and digital distributors of ESPN channels.

The Wall Street Journal also reports that ad sales teams will be streamlined to focus on “personalization and customisation” for advertisers.

The company’s technology workforce will also be restructured with a focus on digital-age needs.

Skipper said the company will be “as supportive as we can during this transition”.