Host Andrew Siciliano is one of four on-air personalities NFL Network laid off on Wednesday. (Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)
Changes are coming to NFL Network.
According to Andrew Marchand of The Athletic, the NFL’s flagship network has cut ties with on-air personalities Andrew Siciliano, Melissa Stark, James Palmer and Will Selva. An NFL Network spokesperson would not confirm the names of those who were laid off, but did confirm that cuts were happening.
“As is normal course of business this time of year, we are evaluating our talent roster for the upcoming 2024 season and beyond,” NFL Network spokesperson Alex Riethmiller told The Athletic. “That process results in renewals, non-renewals and additions to our talent lineup depending on programming needs. To those departing talent, we give our sincere thanks and appreciation for their hard work and contributions to NFL Media.”
The four that were reportedly laid off are some of the most popular and talented personalities on the network. Siciliano is a well known anchor who used to be the face of “Red Zone Channel” on DirecTV. Stark is an analyst and sideline reporter. Palmer is an analyst who also breaks news for the network. Selva was the anchor for the morning show “Good Morning Football.”
Some personal news. NFL Network has bought out my contract and my time there has come to an end. It was a dream job and I loved every minute of it. And that’s mostly because of the people that I got to work with and the friendships that will last well beyond any “job”. I’m…
— James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) April 4, 2024
According to Marchand, this is part of a broader cost-cutting effort at the network, despite the fact that NFL Network is directly supported by the NFL, the single most profitable professional sport in the entire world. The network’s morning show, “Good Morning Football,” recently announced it would be relocating from New York to Los Angeles, and thus far only one of four hosts have announced they’re making the move west.
This cost cutting could be a way to make the network more attractive in a possible equity swap with ESPN. Back in January, The Athletic reported that the NFL had been in “advanced talks” with ESPN to acquire an equity stake in the network. In exchange, ESPN would gain control of NFL Network and other NFL Media assets. There have been no updates on the status of that deal since the initial report.