Changes are being made at Bleacher Report, and unfortunately it means prominent contributors are out at the sports website. First reported by Ben Koo of Awful Announcing, at least 10 people have been laid off by the Turner owned publication.
Included in the layoffs were editor-in-chief Ben Osborne, senior editor Jake Leonard, deputy managing editor Elliott Pohnl, senior writers Howard Beck and Jonathan Abrams, staff writer David Gardner, writers Leo Sepkowitz, Tyler Dunne and Yaron Weitzman. The personnel changes come two months after Bleacher Report parted ways with CEO Howard Mittman following internal complaints which included playing favorites and lack of diversity.
Beck confirmed the news on Twitter, also acknowledging the other contributors who were impacted by the layoffs and noted he still has work to do for Bleacher Report. Beck said he’s still under contract and a few more pods and publications are on the way.
Specific reasons for the round of layoffs were not offered, but the global pandemic likely played a role in the decision making. Sports are back, with the NBA, NHL, PGA and MLB all in full swing, but concerns about their longevity and ability to navigate a second wave has COVID-19 continuing to negatively impact the industry. Koo stated Bleacher Report is not losing money for Turner, but the company would likely prefer to focus its resources on acquiring additional sports rights.
Brandon Contes is a former reporter for BSM, now working for Awful Announcing. You can find him on Twitter @BrandonContes or reach him by email at Brandon.Contes@gmail.com.
