Le Batard assured his fans and listeners that he is not retiring and he will be heard from again soonGETTY IMAGES
What has "long been rumored and speculated" became official Thursday with the news that Dan Le Batard and ESPN are "mutually parting ways in one month," according to Greg Cote of the MIAMI HERALD. The final day on air for "The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz" will be Monday, Jan. 4. Le Batard immediately "assured his legion of fans and listeners that he is not retiring and he will be heard from again soon." Le Batard and the net had "grown apart in recent months with several moves that disappointed Le Batard or caught him by surprise." The buildup to Thursday's news "had been in the air for a while" (MIAMI HERLAD, 12/4).
HIS OWN VOICE: In N.Y., Kevin Draper notes Le Batard has written for ESPN or appeared on its shows for two decades, but "became a mainstay on the network in 2011," when his TV show debuted on ESPN2. Le Batard, who insists on "speaking freely and takes immense pride in his independence," has "repeatedly clashed with his bosses." The layoff of show producer Chris Cote in November followed a number of decisions that "diminished Le Batard's reach." The TV simulcast of his radio show was "recently moved" from ESPNews to ESPN+. ESPN Radio also "reduced the hours that it carried Le Batard's radio show, from three daily to two." The relationship between Le Batard and ESPN was "always challenging." He was "known for gags that tested the humor of his bosses" (N.Y. TIMES, 12/4).
CARDS ON THE TABLE: In N.Y., Andrew Marchand writes the two sides "finally figured out it was time to stop the strife and get divorced." Le Batard "gets to keep Stugotz ... while ESPN receives some financial relief and no longer has to deal with Le Batard's headaches." Le Batard "doesn't really need ESPN and it doesn't need him." On its networks, ESPN "needs to focus on games and news, which aren't of strong interest to the 51-year-old Le Batard these days." He wanted to "act counterculture inside the machine." Marchand: "But how long could ESPN support putting someone on the air who was so openly loathing of its actual product?" ESPN slowly "disassembled Le Batard's perch, piece by piece, slicing off an affiliate here, and an hour there, making this ending inevitable" (N.Y. POST, 12/4). THE ATHLETIC's Richard Deitsch wrote Le Batard's radio show "always had a streak of iconoclasm amid the larger ESPN corporate universe." In some sense, this was an "inevitable conclusion once John Skipper, the former ESPN president with whom Le Batard was close with and who signed him to a long-term deal, resigned from ESPN" in '17 (THEATHLETIC.com, 12/3).
NEW CONQUESTS: On Long Island, Neil Best notes ESPN Radio on Jan. 5 "will unveil a new national schedule, which will include the local ESPN New York show featuring Bart Scott and former Newsday sportswriter Alan Hahn going national" from 12:00-2:00pm ET. Hahn and Scott have "been together since last January when Scott left WFAN." Mike Greenberg's show "will be heard nationally" from 10:00am-12:00pm starting on Jan. 5. ESPN "did not announce how the changes will impact its New York station's lineup," but Hahn and Scott "will remain a part of it" (NEWSDAY, 12/4).
