NBC Sports Layoffs Continue, Hit Digital And Regional Properties Hard
NBC Sports has continued to lay off employees off, as parent company NBCUniversal continues a shift that began in earnest on Monday. We informed you about some surprising layoffs in the digital space yesterday, but those have continued on Tuesday.
Both NBC Sports Chicago and NBC Sports Boston have been hit with significant cuts and layoffs as their parent company shifts priorities.
The Boston Globe's Chad Finn is reporting NBC Sports Boston could lose "upwards of 20" people in the purge:
NBC Sports has been making mass digital and regional layoffs the past two days, and they have hit NBC Sports Boston hard today. Confirming names, but hear in upwards of 20 people, including on-air and behind-the-scenes talent.
— Chad Finn (@GlobeChadFinn) August 4, 2020
Among those let go are Abby Chin and Gary Tanguay. Those staying on include Trenni Kusnierek, John Tomase, Tom Curran and Phil Perry. Trying to confirm everyone individually, but make no mistake, its a bloodletting. (The company may keep on some they are laying off for 60 days.) https://t.co/sEfysqnklh
— Chad Finn (@GlobeChadFinn) August 4, 2020
Meanwhile, NBC Sports Chicago is being hit hard, with the popular Sports Talk Live being canceled and Leila Rahimi -- among others -- being let go.
On Monday, NBC Sports let popular bloggers Craig Calcaterra and Rob Dauster go after after more than 10 years with the company. Sites like Hardball Talk, College Basketball Talk, College Football Talk and more have apparently met their demise.
This is a stark reality many in sports media were facing even before a global pandemic slashed revenues. The business is changing and shrinking to a dramatic degree and that has only been accelerated over the past few months.
We'll have more on this story as it develops.
UPDATE: Some more bad news for fans of NBC Sports Boston:
Also told by multiple sources that Joe Haggerty and A. Sherrod Blakely are among those let go. https://t.co/L1jK7UJegC
— Chad Finn (@GlobeChadFinn) August 4, 2020