ESPN Layoffs 2026: Lloyd, Bell, Ravech Among Those Cut

ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro told employees on July 21, 2026, that the company had been forced to "make some difficult decisions about job impacts" following its acquisition of NFL Network. SportsCenter anchor David Lloyd, injury analyst Stephania Bell, MLB broadcaster Karl Ravech, and NFL Network reporter Tom Pelissero are among those reported to be affected, alongside NFL analyst Ryan Clark, who learned he was being let go while on air the previous day.

The cuts extend beyond on-air talent to include non-camera-facing staff, as part of broader reductions across Disney that began in April under new CEO Josh D'Amaro.

Pitaro's Memo to Staff

In a note to employees Tuesday morning, Pitaro said most of the affected positions were tied directly to the NFL Network acquisition, but that colleagues in other parts of the company would also be notified. "While most of the job impacts are tied to the acquisition, we will also notify colleagues in other parts of the company today that their positions have been impacted," he wrote.

The memo came nearly six months after Disney closed the NFL deal in January 2026. Under its terms, ESPN acquired NFL Network, NFL RedZone pay-TV distribution rights, and NFL Fantasy from NFL Enterprises in exchange for a 10% noncontrolling interest in ESPN, with an estimated transaction fair value of approximately $3 billion. Disney included the acquired assets in its financial results effective January 31, 2026.

NFL Network employees formally joined ESPN in April 2026, meaning the two workforces operated under one structure for roughly three and a half months before Tuesday's notifications began.

Who Has Been Affected

Karl Ravech is leaving after more than 33 years at ESPN. He joined in May 1993 as a SportsCenter anchor, became the primary host of Baseball Tonight, and served as the lead play-by-play voice for Sunday Night Baseball from 2022 to 2025 before that package moved to NBC. He called a Dodgers-Phillies game on ESPN the night before learning of his departure.

David Lloyd joined ESPN as an ESPNews anchor in October 1997 and spent nearly three decades as one of the network's most recognizable SportsCenter voices, most recently hosting SC@Night. His layoff was reported by Front Office Sports, which described both Lloyd and Bell as expected to be laid off. An ESPN spokesperson declined comment.

Stephania Bell arrived at ESPN in 2008 as a senior writer and injury analyst. A licensed physical therapist, she became a regular presence across NFL and fantasy football coverage over nearly 18 years. Her expected departure was reported alongside Lloyd's.

Tom Pelissero had been with NFL Network since 2017, developing into one of the channel's primary insiders alongside Ian Rapoport, who finalized a new multiyear deal with ESPN in late April. Pelissero's exit removes one of the combined operation's senior NFL reporters.

Ryan Clark was informed during a live broadcast of NFL Live on July 20, the day before the wider notifications, and did not finish the program. ESPN had originally planned to notify him Tuesday morning, but moved up the timeline after the network began receiving media inquiries about his status. Clark, who joined ESPN in 2015, responded on Instagram Tuesday, writing: "Proof of Life… Before the madness of yesterday, I woke up, got in my Tundra, drove to Planet Fitness, and got to work. The rest of the day was eventful, but the journey continues. My peace is with God, and my humility comes from within." His 11-year ESPN run included NFL Live, Monday Night Countdown, and First Take.

ESPN has not confirmed the total number of staff affected. The cuts at ESPN are part of a wider Disney reduction on Tuesday that also affected National Geographic, ABC News, and other units.

The Business Context

When ESPN and the NFL announced the deal on August 5, 2025, it was subject to regulatory review. Following Department of Justice approval, the transaction closed January 31, 2026. Disney's effective ownership of ESPN shifted as a result: the company now holds a 72% interest, with Hearst at 18% and the NFL at 10%. The NFL also retains the right to acquire up to an additional 4% equity interest after July 2034, under terms described in Disney's SEC 10-Q filing.

Tuesday's cuts at ESPN sit inside a broader Disney restructuring that D'Amaro signaled in an April memo to employees, in which he said the company would "eliminate roles in some parts of the company." Those April cuts, which affected ESPN, Disney's studio operations, marketing, and other divisions, had already claimed roughly 30 non-on-air ESPN staff before Tuesday. The talent cuts announced this week represent a separate, later phase tied specifically to the NFL Network integration.

Pelissero's departure illustrates where roster overlap was sharpest: with Rapoport retained on a new four-year deal and both Rapoport and Adam Schefter covering the NFL insider beat under the same roof, carrying a third senior NFL reporter was a staffing redundancy the combined organization did not absorb.

What Comes Next

ESPN's largest upcoming production is Super Bowl LXI on February 14, 2027, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, the first Super Bowl ever broadcast by ESPN, airing simultaneously on ABC. Joe Buck and Troy Aikman are confirmed as the broadcast team. Clark had been considered a likely presence in ESPN's Super Bowl coverage. His departure, along with the losses of Ravech and Pelissero, narrows the bench across studio, baseball, and NFL reporting ahead of that February date.

Pitaro said affected employees were being notified throughout Tuesday. ESPN has not announced a timeline for any further restructuring decisions.