Another round of layoffs are hitting ESPN, and this time one of the network’s key executives is getting swept up in them.
Ilan Ben-Hanan is the Senior Vice President of Programming and Content Strategy at the network, a position that he has held since 2023. Ben-Hanan joined ESPN in 2002 and led network content strategy across all of ESPN’s linear networks and digital platforms. In recent years, he and his teams were the ones balancing the upcoming stretch of managing both NBA and NHL playoff schedules on ESPN airwaves. Previously, he had held senior leadership roles in ESPN’s college sports portfolio overseeing their conference networks as well as rights acquisitions.
This round of layoffs affecting ESPN was first reported earlier this month and expected to reach around 30 people. The exercise is happening in part because of lost revenue from the extended YouTube TV carriage dispute last fall.
As Ben-Hanan’s departure was reported by John Ourand at Puck, the ESPN executive also issued his own statement on social media saying that his time with the WorldWide Leader in Sports was coming to an end later this year.
Ben-Hanan’s statement reads in full:
“My time @espn will be coming to an end later this year. After almost 24 years, I can boil my experience here down to one word – gratitude. Where else could I pitch the idea for Jimmy V Week, and have it turn into an annual initiative that’s raised over $100M for cancer research? Where else would I get the chance to lead multi-billion dollar rights negotiations for myriad college conferences, NCAA Championships, the College Football Playoff, the NHL, and the chance to run the SEC Network and ACC Network, along with so much more? Where else would I be entrusted with the keys to program all of our networks, including ABC, getting to touch every property and program we air? Where else would I get the chance to work with the most talented, passionate, and committed colleagues, across both ESPN and The Walt Disney Company? If you had told me in 2002 that I’d get to do all that, I’d sign up over and over again. A huge thank you to everyone I’ve ever worked with, whether inside the company or across the industry. Looking ahead, I’m excited to be part of a team that can use an executive with strong business fundamentals, a sports fan’s passion and instincts, and who embraces innovation, rewards creativity and spirited discussions, and treasures teamwork. Please feel free to reach out – I can’t wait for what’s next.”
While this round of layoffs in Bristol is not as wide-reaching as past ones have been, it’s still surprising to see the name of such an important executive included. The network is balancing more properties and more platforms than ever before with the focus on the new ESPN Unlimited app, acquisition of NFL Network, and other linear and streaming options. This would seem like an inopportune time to let go of the person who is overseeing the new dynamic, but ESPN must hope they have a handle on the situation even if sports fans are still trying to desperately figure out what exactly they can watch and where.
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