Yahoo Sports has reportedly parted ways with several contributors, reportedly including several writers who contributed to their NFL coverage. According to Front Office Sports, NFL reporter Charles Robinson and Charles McDonald have departed the company. Yahoo Sports has not confirmed any names to Barrett Media mentioned in the reporting.
What We Know: As Yahoo Sports continues to align its roster to meet new strategic goals, the company is making some changes. While the company has invested in recent signings such as Taylor Twellman and extended Ross Dellenger and Nate Tice, those signings point to shifting priorities. Sources indicate to Barrett Media the cuts are not part of a cost-cutting measure by Yahoo, but instead a restructure for a best path forward toward their goals. Charles Robinson has been a senior writer for Yahoo Sports since 2004, specializing in NFL and investigative reporting. Charles McDonald is an NFL writer for Yahoo Sports. He previously reported for the New York Daily News among other outlets.
What They Said: A Yahoo Sports spokesperson offered this statement to Barrett Media: “As evidenced by the last few years, we are investing heavily in our original content and we will continue to do so as we approach the football season. We carefully consider all personnel decisions and sometimes need to make tough decisions to achieve our strategic goals.”
What Remains Unclear: The total number of affected employees was not confirmed by Yahoo. However, sources indicate the layoffs are limited in scope affecting fewer than 10 employees. Plans are the company will continue reshaping its content strategy around specific verticals. With football season approaching, sources say Yahoo Sports expects to continue adding talent ahead of the upcoming season.
What It Means: Yahoo Sports is going through a restructure when it comes to internal goals. Like many companies, shifting priorities unfortunately means tough decisions. Yahoo is clearly doubling down on targeted content hubs. Examples of that include the partnership with Ariel Helwani in building Uncrowned, and launching Yahoo Sports Daily just under a year ago. Barrett Media is a licensed content provider for Yahoo. Last month, Barrett Media joined several other content sites in contributing content to Yahoo Sports’ sports business hub. More names will surface over the coming days, but the scope of the layoffs does seem to be minimal.
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John Mamola is Barrett Media’s sports editor and daily sports columnist. He brings over two decades of experience (Chicago, Tampa/St Petersburg) in the broadcast industry with expertise in brand management, sales, promotions, producing, imaging, hosting, talent coaching, talent development, web development, social media strategy and design, video production, creative writing, partnership building, communication/networking with a long track record of growth and success. He is a five-time recognized top 20 program director in a major market via Barrett Medi’s Top 20 series and has been honored internally multiple times as station/brand of the year (Tampa, FL) and employee of the month (Tampa, FL) by iHeartMedia. Connect with John by email at John@BarrettMedia.com.
