Five ESPN Ad Sales Exec Jobs Cut Amid Internal Restructuring

By John Ourand, Staff Writer

Five ESPN ad sales execs lost their jobs yesterday as part of what company execs are calling an internal restructuring. The execs include three senior VPs, one VP and a senior director, most of whom reported to ESPN Exec VP/Multimedia Sales ERIC JOHNSON. An ESPN spokesperson said that the execs' positions were being eliminated. The spokesperson said the moves have nothing to do with the current recession, which is being blamed for sluggish ad sales throughout sports media. The spokesperson: "This is a redeployment of a handful of positions to support future growth areas. This is not a layoff." ESPN said it was looking to increase its focus on mobile and digital ad sales.