ESPN to Shut Down Deportes Radio In September

ESPN is shutting down its ESPN Deportes radio business on Sept. 8, a move that will lead to layoffs for 10 full-time and 25 part-time employees. ESPN will close Deportes Radio’s Coral Gables, Fla., offices; some of its N.Y.-based sales employees also will be affected. ESPN: “Hispanic audience consumer habits are changing rapidly and this requires ESPN to evolve as well. It’s no secret Hispanic fans skew heavily on digital and social which is why we made the decision to discontinue ESPN Deportes terrestrial radio in September.”

The move to close down ESPN Deportes Radio will not affect the rest of ESPN Deportes’ businesses, including its TV and digital operations. ESPN Deportes has 44 radio affiliates in the U.S. In the N.Y. market, the company owns ESPN Deportes Radio 1050 AM, which will switch to an English-language sports channel.

Rather than focus on Spanish-language radio, ESPN will move deeper into mobile and audio podcasts. Some ESPN Deportes radio programs will be turned into podcasts, like "Jorge Ramos y Su Banda" -- which will also be on TV -- and "Raza Deportiva." ESPN Deportes will produce 10 other Spanish-language podcasts as well, including "Futbol Picante," "Los Capitanes," "Cronometro," "NFL Live," "A Los Golpes," "Nos Ponemos Las Pilas," "El Diario de Martin," "ESPN Radio Formula," "La Locomotora" and "El Diario Deportivo," which starts in August.