Josh Elliott, who was "considered a major hire" in spring '14 when he was "poached from ABC, is leaving NBC after less than two years," according to Marisa Guthrie of the HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. It is "unclear what Elliott’s next move will be," but there is "industry speculation that he could land at Fox Sports," where he would once again work with Fox Sports National Networks President Jamie Horowitz. In his "brief stint as the executive in charge of NBC’s Today, Horowitz championed positioning Elliott as the heir apparent to Matt Lauer." Guthrie noted it is "obvious that (Elliott) was rather underutilized at NBC Sports." Elliott has "maintained that his exit" from ABC's "GMA" was "driven by a desire to return to sports, where his career began." But it is also clear that he "misses the day-to-day exposure that morning TV afforded him" (HOLLYWOODREPORTER.com, 12/23). VARIETY's Cynthia Littleton reported NBC "agreed to let Elliott out of his contract early amid the anchor’s frustration with his lack of assignments for NBC and NBC Sports Network." He "appeared last year on NBC’s 'Sunday Night Football' telecasts and anchored horse racing’s Triple Crown this year but otherwise didn’t get much screen time." Littleton cited a source as saying that Elliott "does not have a new job lined up at present." Elliott was also said to have "pursued the possibility of returning to 'GMA' earlier this year" (VARIETY.com, 12/23).
