On Tuesday, ESPN announced it’s shutting down ESPN Deportes radio on September 8. Ten full-time and 25 part-time employees will be let go. ESPN will close Deportes Radio’s Coral Gables, FL, offices. Some of its New York-based sales employees also will be affected.
There were 44 stations that carried the format. In Philadelphia WTTM-AM announced it would begin airing the format only two months ago. The Television and digital side of the Deportes business will not be affected. Some radi oprograms will be turned into podcasts.
ESPN issued the following statement: “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 New York market, the company owns ESPN Deportes Radio 1050 AM, which will switch to an English-language sports channel.
