Another high-profile talent is out at ESPN.
Senior NBA writer Zach Lowe has been laid off by the network, The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand reported.
Lowe had been with ESPN for more than a decade, having joined Bill Simmons’ Grantland vertical in 2012 after writing for Sports Illustrated.
Lowe was one of the few Grantland writers who made the transition over to ESPN when the vertical shuttered in 2015; NFL writer Bill Barnwell was another.
Zach Lowe was laid off by ESPN. ESPN/YouTube
Lowe’s salary, more than $1 million a year, was the “biggest factor” in his dismissal from ESPN, according to The Athletic.
In addition to writing for ESPN, Lowe regularly appeared on “NBA Today”, the network’s daily NBA program, and hosted the popular “Lowe Post” podcast.
Lowe’s exit from ESPN follows the shocking layoffs of Robert Griffin III and Samantha Ponder, which happened last month, right before football season.
A silver lining for Lowe is that the timing lines up as NBC and Amazon are stocking up on NBA talents before their league rights agreements start in 2025 (Amazon’s package is presuming TNT’s lawsuit against the NBA is unsuccessful or settled).
Zach Lowe during ESPN’s coverage of the 2022 NBA Draft. NBAE via Getty Images
The Lowe news follows last week’s stunner that ESPN’s lead NBA reporter Adrian Wojnarowski left the company to be the general manager of his alma mater St. Bonaventure’s men’s basketball team.
“I grew up the son of a factory worker two miles from ESPN’s campus and only ever dreamed of making a living as a sportswriter,” Wojnarowski wrote on X when he announced the news. “Thirty-seven years ago, the Hartford Courant gave me my first byline and I never stopped chasing the thrill of it all.
“This craft transformed my life, but I’ve decided to retire from ESPN and the news industry. I understand the commitment required in my role and it’s an investment that I’m no longer driven to make. Time isn’t in endless supply and I want to spend mine in ways that are more personally meaningful.”