Media

ESPN lays off 150 in latest round of cuts

Key Points
  • Disney's ESPN is laying off 150 more people, President John Skipper announces.
  • Most of the latest cuts affect behind-the-scenes employees.
  • Earlier this year. ESPN let go of 100 on-air employees, or 10 percent of its front-facing employees.
John Skipper, formerly of ESPN
Ira Black | Corbis | Getty Images

Disney's ESPN is laying off 150 more people, President John Skipper announced Wednesday.

"The majority of the jobs eliminated are in studio production, digital content, and technology," Skipper said.

CNBC reported earlier this month that ESPN was planning to layoff more than 100 staffers after the Thanksgiving holidays.

In April, the sports broadcaster cut 100 employees, including some on-air personalities, and in 2015, it laid off about 300 workers.

ESPN is going through changes as more people move away from cable and toward stand-alone streaming services. The company is preparing to launch an "add-on" digital service, which will let people watch content on their mobile devices, Disney CEO Bob Iger told CNBC in October. It's also working to give viewers access to more than 10,000 live sporting events.

The network has about 8,000 employees.

Below is Skipper's statement to employees:

Today we are informing approximately 150 people at ESPN that their jobs are being eliminated.

We appreciate their contributions, and will assist them as much as possible in this difficult moment with severance, a 2017 bonus, the continuation of health benefits and outplacement services. They will also appreciate your support.

The majority of the jobs eliminated are in studio production, digital content, and technology and they generally reflect decisions to do less in certain instances and re-direct resources.

We will continue to invest in ways which will best position us to serve the modern sports fan and support the success of our business.

John

The Associated Press and CNBC's Michelle Castillo contributed to this report.