Wednesday, September 16, 2026

ESPN to Lay Off Karl Ravech After More Than 30 Years

Ravech’s expected departure comes amid a round of ESPN layoffs that also impacted NFL analyst Ryan Clark.

Jul 13, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; ESPN commentator Karl Ravech before the MLB Draft at The Coca-Cola Roxy. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Karl Ravech is expected to be laid off by ESPN after more than 30 years at the network, sources told Front Office Sports

An ESPN spokesperson declined to comment. 

Ravech joined ESPN as an anchor in 1993 and was a longtime host of SportsCenter and Baseball Tonight. He eventually pivoted to play-by-play and served as the lead caller of the Sunday Night Baseball franchise from 2022 to 2025. He also called the Little League World Series for ESPN. 

ESPN switched to a less consistent baseball schedule this year after opting out of its previous MLB package, which included Sunday Night Baseball, before reaching a restructured deal with the league. MLB play-by-play announcers still on the ESPN roster include Jon “Boog” Sciambi and Mike Monaco. 

FOS reported in June that there would be a round of layoffs at ESPN this summer.

On Tuesday morning, ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro addressed the company in a memo that can be read here, along with a full list of talent known to have been affected by the layoffs.

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