Fox Sports National Networks President Jamie Horowitz' dismissal Monday "came about a week after Fox began investigating allegations of sexual harassment in the workplace in its sports division," according to Meg James of the L.A. TIMES. A source said that the company "interviewed several women at L.A.-based Fox Sports about Horowitz’s behavior." Sources said that the women "included prominent on-air personalities and show producers." Horowitz last Friday was "told to report" to his West L.A. office at 8:00am PT Monday for a meeting. A source said that he "met with Fox Sports’ human resources executives, who informed Horowitz that he was being fired, effective immediately." Sources said that Fox "has not paid any financial settlements related to Horowitz’s behavior" (L.A. TIMES, 7/4).
FIRST-PERSON ACCOUNT: SI.com's Deitsch & McCann cited a female Fox Sports associate who said that she "spoke last week with HR officials for Fox Sports for more than an hour." She "recounted a story of Horowitz attempting to kiss her at an offsite location last year." She said, “I have been working in sports for a long time, and no one has ever been that bold with me. I saw him at Fox one day, and he said he wanted to catch up. He said we could meet up to talk. The hook was that he could get me more work. Fox HR called me last week. They asked about what had happened. I gave some details and then called back and gave more details. To Fox’s credit they handled it quickly and really pro-active. They went out of their way to contact me.” Deitsch & McCann noted Horowitz' departure "could quickly become a legal controversy." Horowitz could "potentially sue Fox for breach of contract," and such a claim "would become more likely if Horowitz's employment contract contains language that impacts how much he is paid upon being fired and if Horowitz believes he has been denied full payment." The amount of money Horowitz was owed upon firing "could be impacted by whether Fox fired him 'for cause,'” whether Horowitz "violated a so-called 'morals clause' in his contract, or both." Fox attorney Dan Petrocelli in '97 "successfully represented Fred Goldman in securing" a $33.5M judgment against O.J. Simpson. The fact that Patricia Glaser, who is repping Horowitz, and Petrocelli, two leading attorneys in L.A., are the "principal lawyers in the Horowitz-Fox dispute suggests that a legal fight looms" (SI.com, 7/3). Deitsch on Twitter noted Fox Sports sent out a note yesterday "via its PR department reminding staff about 'unauthorized conversations with the press'" (TWITTER.com, 7/4). The Hollywood Reporter's Matthew Belloni tweeted Horowitz hiring Glaser indicates "something's up here" (TWITTER.com, 7/3).
TOUGH YEAR FOR FOX: In N.Y., Steel & Draper noted Horowitz' "radical restructuring" of FS1 "caused widespread consternation among its employees." His "swift dismissal" also "represents a significant departure from how 21st Century Fox has handled other cases" (N.Y. TIMES, 7/4). In DC, Rick Maese noted 21st Century Fox has been "embroiled in sexual harassment scandals for the past year, and Horowitz’s dismissal will fan claims that its culture of abuse spans multiple divisions" (WASHINGTON POST, 7/4). Uproxx' Andy Isaac tweeted, "Horowitz was allowed to fire a bunch of people even though there was an ongoing sexual assault probe? Something is not adding up here" (TWITTER.com, 7/3).
COMPLICATED LEGACY: The L.A. TIMES' James noted Horowitz at Fox was "given license to spend heavily on talent and used his budget to promote opinion and debate programs hosted by big names that he raided from ESPN." Those included Skip Bayless and Colin Cowherd, who "jumped ship" for deals annually worth a reported $5.5M and $6M, respectively (L.A. TIMES, 7/4). THE RINGER's Bryan Curtis wrote two things "made Horowitz controversial." He "hired hosts who nakedly trafficked in stereotypes" and he "tweaked his old comrades at ESPN." However, among the hosts he hired and promoted, Horowitz "could inspire enormous loyalty" (THERINGER.com, 7/4). USA TODAY's A.J. Perez noted Horowitz’s controversial handling of Fox Sports Digital was "detailed in a recent Awful Announcing story." But a Fox source said that Horowitz’ management of Fox Sports Digital "didn’t play a role in his departure" (USATODAY.com, 7/3). In N.Y., Mark Sanchez noted Horowitz is "both hailed and ridiculed for ushering in an era of argument as entertainment" (N.Y. POST, 7/4). In L.A., Tom Hoffarth noted Horowitz "over the past two years has generated as much publicity as perplexity" (DAILYNEWS.com, 7/3).
WHAT NOW? SPORTING NEWS' Michael McCarthy looked at "five burning questions about Horowitz’s departure." FS1's Katie Nolan could leave "for ESPN as soon as her contract expires" in '18. Sources said that more "dominoes are going to fall" from the hires Horowitz made during his tenure, as "those allies leave or are pushed out." The rollout of new shows like "First Things First" will "probably not" be affected, but Fox could "possibly" pivot back to more news/highlights shows. The future of the "Embrace Debate" format will be a "mix of opinion, news and highlights." McCarthy: "So 'Embrace Debate' lives. It's just mutating into a different form." Meanwhile, the legal situation between Horowitz and Fox "could get ugly fast" (SPORTINGNEWS.com, 7/4). Author James Andrew Miller tweeted, "Horowitz was reportedly set to meet w/ @katienolan as early as this weekend. Obvious Q: does this increase chances she goes to @espn?" (TWITTER.com, 7/3).
OUR TAKE: Horowitz’ sudden departure from Fox Sports is the topic of the latest SBJ/SBD podcast. Executive Editor Abe Madkour and Media Reporter John Ourand discuss how the move affects FS1 and what changes viewers can expect over the next several months.
