We’ve been saying that no one is safe at ESPN, as the Worldwide Leader in Sports undergoes another massive round of layoffs on Friday. However, according to a new report from the NY Post’s Andrew Marchand, apparently that’s not entirely true.
Despite letting a number of big-time, on-air personalities go, ESPN is apparently not even considering parting ways with three of their biggest stars: Stephen A. Smith, Scott Van Pelt, and Joe Buck.
Stephen A. Smith is probably the most notable of the three, as he seems to be on every other show that the network airs these days. That’s not to underestimate the value of Van Pelt and Buck, however, as they have both become the faces of their respective programs (SportsCenter and Monday Night Football).
ESPN landed Joe Buck on a rumored five-year, $75-million contract last year, so that he could work alongside longtime partner Troy Aikman in the Monday Night Football broadcast booth. As for Stephen A. Smith, he’s said to be making roughly $12-million a year.
Those are some big-time salaries for a company that’s looking to save millions with cutbacks, but it’s clear that there are certain individuals who remain untouchable at ESPN.
Among those who have already been fired are Jeff Van Gundy, Jalen Rose, Max Kellerman and Keyshawn Johnson.
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It’s expected that more names are still to come.
