ESPN Shutting Down ESPN Deportes
• ESPN is shutting down its 18-year-old Hispanic-targeted ESPN Deportes radio division on Sept. 8, a move that will lead to layoffs for 10 full-time and 25 part-time employees. That’s the word from Sports Business Daily. ESPN will close Deportes Radio’s Coral Gables, FL offices; some of its New York-based sales employees also will be adversely affected.
In a statement, ESPN said, “Hispanic audience consumer habits are changing rapidly and this requires ESPN to evolve as well. It’s no secret Hispanic fans skew heavily on digital and social which is why we made the decision to discontinue ESPN Deportes terrestrial radio (ESPN Deportes Radio) in September. Moving forward, ESPN will continue serving Hispanic sports fans with the widest variety of sports through multiple platforms including television, digital, social, mobile and audio podcasts.”
ESPN Deportes launched as an alternate Spanish-language programming feed in July of 2001, when ESPN and Major League Baseball began offering Spanish-language telecasts of the Home Run Derby and select Sunday Night Baseball telecasts.
