ESPN cuts stars from lineup as NFL deal takes shape

ESPN parted ways with several on-air personalities this week, including Ryan Clark and lead baseball play-by-play announcer Karl Ravech, as the network and NFL Network consolidate talent ahead of the football season.

Clark appeared on NFL Live on Monday but left before the show ended after learning that ESPN would not continue with him, per The Athletic. The network reportedly moved up the conversation because it feared news of the decision would become public before informing him.

According to The Athletic, Clark’s layoff follows a September on-air confrontation on Get Up that rankled ESPN executives, during which he told NFL reporter Peter Schrager, “That’s the non-player in you.”

A former Pittsburgh Steelers safety, Clark joined ESPN after retiring from the NFL and quickly became one of its most recognizable football analysts. He regularly appeared on NFL Live, Monday Night Countdown, First Take and Get Up, and also hosts his popular podcast, The Pivot.

The layoffs, which mostly affected behind-the-scenes staff, are tied to the $3 billion ESPN-NFL deal completed last February, which gave the NFL a 10% stake in ESPN and brought NFL Network and NFL RedZone under ESPN’s umbrella.

Clark’s exit comes as Disney prepares another round of job cuts.

Pixar is expected to see the largest number of layoffs among Disney’s film studios, while National Geographic is the hardest hit within Disney Entertainment Television.

ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro said the company had reviewed its workforce and organizational structure to position the business for future growth. He added that Disney would support affected employees during the transition.

The latest workforce reduction marks Disney’s third round of layoffs in 2026, following restructuring efforts in January and April as the company continues to streamline operations and strengthen its technology-focused strategy.