NBA analyst Jalen Rose, NFL analyst Keyshawn Johnson and personality Max Kellerman are among the on-air personalities that ESPN is laying off on Friday, The New York Post’s Andrew Marchand reports. The network is expected to let go of around 20 on-air personalities, with NBA color commentator Jeff Van Gundy already reportedly a part of the group.
SportsCenter anchor Ashley Brewer has also been let go, according to Marchand.
Rose, who spent 13 seasons in the NBA, has been with ESPN as an NBA analyst since his retirement in 2007. He and David Jacoby also formed the radio show Jalen & Jacoby, which ended late last year.
Johnson and Kellerman were at ESPN since 2007 and ’16, respectively, and had a radio show with Jay Williams that was reportedly canceled last week. Johnson also appeared on shows like Sunday NFL Countdown and Monday Night Countdown, while Kellerman was part of the network’s initial efforts to replace Skip Bayless on First Take in 2016.
In a statement, ESPN acknowledged the layoffs but declined to give specific names of those affected.
“Given the current environment, ESPN has determined it necessary to identify some additional cost savings in the area of public-facing commentator salaries, and that process has begun,” ESPN said in the statement.
“This exercise will include a small group of job cuts in the short-term and an ongoing focus on managing costs when we negotiate individual contract renewals in the months ahead. This is an extremely challenging process, involving individuals who have had tremendous impact on our company. These difficult decisions, based more on overall efficiency than merit, will help us meet our financial targets and ensure future growth.”
