John Ourand of Sports Business Daily reports that ESPN will shut down its Spanish language radio network on September 8. The move means layoffs for 10 full-time and 25 part-time employees. ESPN will also shut down the Deportes Radio studios outside of Miami.
“Hispanic audience consumer habits are changing rapidly and this requires ESPN to evolve as well,” the network said in an official statement. “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 in September.”
The company’s statement also noted that the shuttering of ESPN Deportes Radio does not change its commitment to Spanish audio content. “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 Radio has 44 affiliates across the country. The company owns ESPN Deportes 1050 in New York City. It will transition to an English language sports station.
Two ESPN Deportes Radio shows will become podcasts. They are Jorge Ramos y Su Banda, which will also get a TV simulcast, and Raza Deportiva. ESPN Audio will also produce 10 other Spanish language podcasts.
