Scott Van Pelt is one of the top names on the list of talent that are accepting a salary cutESPN IMAGES
ESPN execs made it clear that the 15% salary reductions they sought for their highest-paid commentators would help stem further furloughs from the network staff. The overriding message was the same: "These are challenging times, and we are all in this together." It is not yet known how many of the 100 commentators agreed to a pay cut, which would last for three months. Several of the best-known names on the list -- Scott Van Pelt, Dick Vitale, Mike Breen, Mark Jackson and Jay Bilas -- said they would accept the salary cut, while Keith Olbermann also is going to sign the documents that will put the 15% cut in place. All of the commentators who were asked are under contracts, which means that they can refuse the temporary pay cut if they desire (John Ourand, THE DAILY). In DC, Ben Strauss reports the pay cut was "requested of anyone making more than $500,000." ESPN execs already have had their pay cut by between 20-30%, "depending on seniority." Those reductions do "not have an end date and do not affect the stock options and bonuses many receive" (WASHINGTON POST, 4/14).
ESPN NO DIFFERENT THAN ANYONE ELSE: The N.Y. Times' Ben Smith said, “If ever there was a TV business that seems totally unassailable, ESPN, with rights to most of the important sports events for Americans, is obviously the one. It would be hard to think of anything that would shut ESPN down. The pandemic is it. You can go on ESPN now to watch athletes play video games with each other. Huge problem for them. Again, like much of the rest of Disney, you assume people at some point are going to watch basketball again and come back to ESPN. But right now, it's just hitting the brakes just unbelievably hard for that company” (“Power Lunch,” CNBC, 4/13).
