ESPN’s budgetary cuts have been well-chronicled in the past few weeks, as the network parted ways with Bill Simmons and Keith Olbermann for reasons that were a combination of financial and editorial (more the former with Olbermann, and it’s impossible to weigh each side with Simmons). But it is not the first time a sports personality at ESPN found out that he was being fired that way.
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As said by TV Guide, the network issued a statement saying, “Keith is a tremendous talent who has consistently done timely, entertaining and thought-provoking work since returning to ESPN”. “While the show’s content was distinctive and extremely high quality, we ultimately made a business decision to move in another direction”. It provided no details or further explanation for the program’s cancellation, but wished him “nothing but the best”. If these numbers are accurate, that adds up to over $250 million per year in lost revenue.
“John Skipper played George Steinbrenner with several incredibly expensive talent deals in recent years, but those days are over”.
The show originally aired August 26, 2013, marking Olbermann’s return to ESPN, for whom he was a SportsCenter anchor from 1992 to 1997. The network made the decision to not renew the anchor’s contract on Wednesday. They predict he is seeking a position where he can cover the 2016 election.
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Huffington Post reported that executives of the company chose to release Olbermann when his contract ends this month rather than axe him from his show. This would not be uncharted territory for Olbermann as he became the representative for America’s anti-war faction during the conflict in Iraq and was known for his open criticism of the Bush Administration.
