ESPN anchor Ryan Clark was let go by the network during a live broadcast.
Sources told The Athletic that Clark, 46, was informed of his firing during Monday’s NFL Live show. The anchor subsequently did not finish the program.
The Athletic reports that ESPN decided to tell Clark during the broadcast out of fears that news of his departure would leak. Sources said that “they did not want him to read it online before being told in person.”
Clark’s job was allegedly in jeopardy since February’s Super Bowl.
The network is planning to instigate further layoffs on Tuesday as a part of broader cuts at Disney, ESPN’s parent company. These cuts will reportedly affect both on-air personalities and off-air employees at ESPN and NFL Network, its sister platform acquired in February.
The Daily Beast has reached out to ESPN for comment.
As per a memo sent to ESPN employees by Chairman Jimmy Pitaro and obtained by the Daily Beast, the company has made some “difficult decisions made about job impacts.” Pitaro said the network will “notify colleagues in other parts of the company today that their positions have been impacted.”
“Over the past several months, we’ve made significant progress integrating the NFL assets that we acquired into ESPN,” he wrote. “Throughout this process, we have taken the time to carefully evaluate our collective teams, resources and organizational structure to best position us for the future.”
“We are committed to treating employees with compassion and respect and to providing support as they navigate this transition.”
Clark, a former NFL player, joined ESPN as an analyst in March 2015. At the 44th Sports Emmy Awards in 2023, Clark bagged “Outstanding Personality/Studio Analyst.” He was making over $2 million a year, sources revealed.
But ESPN executives had an eye on Clark’s performance after incidents with colleague Peter Schrager, both on and off the air. In September 2025, Clark and Schrager had an on-air spat on ESPN’s Get Up, after Schrager defended Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb. Following the opening-night loss and Schrager’s defense, Clark told his colleague while pointing a finger, “We shouldn’t do this on TV, so I apologize if people think this is rude: that’s the non-player in you.”
Schrager asked Clark not to “belittle” him and, instead, to allow him to voice other perspectives. Clark said in turn, “Peter, what I need for you to do is not get mad and let me finish.”
The heated exchange quickly went viral.
The former Pittsburgh Steeler later posted an apology on X, writing, “Today, I had an interaction with my colleague @PSchrags both on and off the air that I regret. I have apologized to Peter and taken accountability with ESPN leadership. I value working with Peter and look forward to this season. My focus will remain on professionalism, teamwork, and being a better teammate moving forward.”
Clark broke his silence on his firing on social media on Tuesday, without directly addressing his network.
On Instagram, he posted a video of himself at the gym, captioning the clip, “Proof of life...”
“Before the madness of yesterday, I woke up, got in my Tundra, drove to Planet Fitness, and got to work. The rest of the day was eventful, but the journey continues. My peace is with God, and my humility comes from within. I’ll continue to build myself so the world can never strip me of what’s real. Get moving today y’all! 🙏🏾,” he wrote.
Clark previously underwent a public negotiation with ESPN, at first threatening to leave until the two parties came to an agreement.
“3 years ago I signed an extension with ESPN. I was so grateful for more time. I excited to prove I was worth more, felt I deserved more. We disagreed, & that’s ok. I set out on a mission to leave no doubt, end all conversations about my who I was in this business,” he posted on X in February 2024.
“I knew it would take effort. I knew that effort didn’t promise results, but I dug in. Here we are now. The season is over. The deal is up. Time to make a decision. Either way it goes. The mission don’t change. I want to be the best doing it. Everyone should. I’m more motivated today than ever,” he concluded.
