In the coming weeks and months, ESPN is expected to have massive layoffs that will impact all areas of the company, including on-air personalities, but it is not stopping the network from investing in those it views as vital.
In that vein, ESPN has re-signed NFL analyst Marcus Spears to a multi-million dollar four-year deal, according to sources.
Spears, 40, has made a huge impact on ESPN.
He’s featured prominently on “NFL Live,” “First Take,” “Get Up” and he has a podcast with Kendrick Perkins.
He is expected to continue in his roles with the possibility for expansion over the course of the contract.
This leaves Mina Kimes as an unsigned ESPN NFL TV analyst, whom the network hopes to extend.
She teams with Spears, Dan Orlovsky, Ryan Clark and Keyshawn Johnson as the regular analyst, alongside host Laura Rutledge on “NFL Live.”
In February, Disney’s CEO Bob Iger announced the company, which owns ESPN, would layoff 7,500 people.
Though other divisions already have begun shedding employees, ESPN is expected to start in the next few weeks.