ESPN Will Not Let Jamie Horowitz Out Of Contract In Order To Move To "Today"

ESPN will not let VP/Original Programming & Production JAMIE HOROWITZ out of his contract, putting an end to the producer's negotiations to move to NBC's "TODAY" show -- at least for now. A network source told THE DAILY, "He has a contract with ESPN, and ESPN is going to require him to fulfill it." ESPN President JOHN SKIPPER and Comcast's top execs had been negotiating to let Horowitz out of his deal, where he oversees shows like "OLBERMANN" and "FIRST TAKE." It is not clear how much longer Horowitz has left on his ESPN deal, but a source described it as "multiyear." Deadspin first reported on Monday that NBC approached Horowitz to take over "Today." Horowitz joined ESPN in '06 and is widely credited for pushing the company's controversial "Embrace Debate" mantra that became the focus of many morning and afternoon shows.