Over the past few weeks, ESPN has laid off upwards of 300 people across the company as parent company Disney continues to reel financially from the coronavirus pandemic while simultaneously positioning itself to upgrade its NFL broadcasting rights.
The result hasn’t been pretty as high-profile personalities, award-winning journalists and behind-the-scenes staffers have left ESPN recently.
On Monday, ESPN soccer reporter Stefano Fusaro announced that he was too a part of the recent layoffs. And in response to the news, one Twitter user took aim at ESPN’s highest-paid, on-air personality … Stephen A. Smith.
The tweet said that it was a shame that ESPN had to let talented people go in order to pay the salaries of Smith and co-host Max Kellerman. Smith, though, took exception to the tweet.
You might be able to get over it if you'd done your damn homework. I generate revenue clown. I bring money to help KEEP JOBS, not lose them. Know who the F&^%$ you're talking about before opening your mouth. If you didn't know you should've asked somebody. https://t.co/vSaE7BDBJe
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) December 7, 2020
Responding to the user, Smith claimed that his salary — a reported $8 million per year — is justified because he brings in revenue to keep jobs.
And while any criticism of First Take is certainly reasonable, it would seem awfully unfair to blame Smith for the layoffs of 300 people. According to CNBC, Disney saw the coronavirus pandemic cost its parks a $2.4 billion loss in operating income. Smith’s salary is a drop in that bucket.
In reality, the timing of the coronavirus pandemic and the impending NFL TV rights bids are more to blame than Smith could ever be.
It’s a brutal industry with a business model tied to multi-billion-dollar broadcasting deals. But sports fans everywhere would have been better served if ESPN could have found a way to keep those jobs. There’s no arguing that.
