Wendi Nix leaves ESPN after 17 years with the network – following raft of on-air layoffs
Wendi Nix is leaving ESPN after 17 years with the network – following a series of on-air layoffs
ESPN host Wendi Nix has become the latest high-profile name to leave the sports network, she announced.
Nix, 48, ended her time with ESPN after 17 years when her contract with the sports reporter was not renewed.
The popular sports analyst announced the news on Instagram, sharing an emotional message with her 6,200 followers.
“Exactly seventeen years ago, I walked into ESPN wide-eyed and excited,” Nix posted last week.
This week I’m heading in the same direction. Grateful, but equally excited about the next chapter. To be continued…’
ESPN host Wendi Nix has become the latest high-profile name to leave the sports network
The popular sports analyst announced the news to her 6,200 followers via Instagram
Nix, 48, ended her time with ESPN after 17 years when her contract expired
Her departure comes in the wake of ESPN’s spate of brutal layoffs that saw around 20 talents lose their jobs.
However, Nix was not the umpteenth dismissal victim, as it turns out The New York Posther case was different: her contract expired and was not renewed.
Nix recently hosted College Football Live and will be replaced on the show by Kelsey Riggs, who joined ESPN in 2019 as a host on the ACC Network.
Mark Jackson became the latest victim of ongoing ESPN layoffs in early August, joining Jeff Van Gundy, Suzy Kolber, Jalen Rose and Steve Young among about 20 ESPN commentators and reporters who were laid off in June as part of the job cuts from the network .
ESPN planned this extra round of on-air talent to prevent further off-air staff cuts after two rounds of mandatory cuts by the company’s owner, the Walt Disney Company.
Disney CEO Bob Iger announced in February that the company would cut 7,000 jobs, either through job openings not being filled or layoffs.
ESPN’s NFL coverage and the radio side were the ones that scored the biggest hits.
Todd McShay, a long-time veteran of college football coverage, and analyst Matt Hasselbeck were also fired.
Nix recently hosted College Football Live and will be replaced on the show by Kelsey Riggs
Nix was not yet another victim of ESPN’s mass layoffs this summer, which saw 20 names dropped
ESPN Radio’s morning show team, consisting of Max Kellerman and Keyshawn Johnson, and afternoon host Jason Fitz were also affected. Kellerman also did an afternoon show on ESPN, but it was unlikely to continue after Pat McAfee signed on to bring his show on the network’s air in the fall.
Others include “SportsCenter” anchor Ashley Brewer, radio and ACC Network host Jordan Cornette, college basketball analyst LaPhonso Ellis, NBA reporter Nick Friedell, baseball writer Joon Lee, and “College GameDay” analyst David Pollack.
Meanwhile, former ESN insider Dianna Russini reportedly opted to leave the network earlier this month to join The Athletic.
According to Andrew Marchand of the New York PostESPN offered the eight-year veteran a raise, but she chose instead to move to the digital-focused outlet.
The move comes as a surprise given Russini’s status as one of ESPN’s top football insiders and quasi-regular appearances on his television shows, including Get Up.