Dan Le Batard Will Leave ESPN in January
By Liam McKeone
Dan Le Batard will be leaving ESPN in January, the network announced via a press release on Thursday afternoon. The finale of the Dan Le Batard Show will come on January 4, Le Batard's departure date, and will be the final day he hosts Highly Questionable.
Per ESPN:
"“It was mutually agreed that it was best for both sides to move on to new opportunities and we worked together closely to make that possible,” said Norby Williamson, ESPN executive vice president and executive editor. “We thank Dan for his many years and contributions to ESPN and wish him all the best going forward.” "
Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports reports Highly Questionable will stay at ESPN even with its usual host leaving the company.
ESPN says it's split with Dan Le Batard was mutual. ESPN Radio will air its last episode of 'The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz' on Jan. 4. Le Batard will host his last episode of Highly Questionable on the same day. TV show will stay on the network.
— Michael McCarthy (@MMcCarthyREV) December 3, 2020
Le Batard thanked ESPN for his 25 years at the company in the same email. ESPN also announced another reshuffling of their radio lineup that will take place as Le Batard departs. Mike Greenberg will take the Dan Le Batard Show slot from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. ET. Bart Scott and Alan Hahn will launch their own new show, Bart & Hahn, on January 5 in the 12 p.m. to the 2 p.m. ET timeslot.
This is not a big surprise. The relationship between Le Batard and ESPN has been souring for quite some time now. Most recently, ESPN let go of producer Chris Cote during their massive round of layoffs, and Le Batard hired him back as a personal assistant while agreeing to pay Cote's salary out of his own pocket. He even gave him a raise.
Now, Le Batard will presumably look for a new gig. He comes with a massive, devoted following and will be the most popular media free agent to hit the market in quite some time. What he will do next will be worth watching.