• Loading stock data...
Thursday, September 4, 2025
Fox Analyst and Media Entrepreneur Greg Olsen to Speak at Tuned In Get your ticket now!

Dianna Russini Will Reportedly Leave ESPN For The Athletic

  • Russini has been a key part of ESPN’s NFL coverage since 2017.
  • Her departure would follow layoffs of ESPN NFL analysts, including Steve Young, Keyshawn Johnson, Suzy Kolber, and Matt Hasselback.
Rossini's departure would follow layoffs of ESPN NFL analysts, including Steve Young, Keyshawn Johnson, Suzy Kolber, and Matt Hasselback.
Photo by Melissa Rawlins / ESPN Images)

NFL insider Dianna Russini is leaving ESPN for The Athletic, according to The New York Post. She would be the latest big-name employee to leave ESPN after around 20 on-air employees were laid off in June.

Russini will write NFL stories and make video and podcast contributions for The Athletic, which The New York Times acquired for $550 million in January 2022. The Post reports that ESPN wanted to keep Russini and offered her a raise to stay. She joined ESPN in 2015 and has been a lead NFL reporter for NFL Live, Sunday NFL Countdown, Fantasy Football Now, Get Up, SportsCenter, and ESPN Radio. 

At ESPN, Russini started as a SportsCenter anchor before she moved to NFL, reporting for the network in 2017. ESPN’s NFL coverage will look much different this coming season without Russini and a slew of other longtime on-air football talents who were let go in June, including Suzy Kolber, Keyshawn Johnson, Steve Young, Max Kellerman, Matt Hasselback, Todd McShay. Jeff Van Gundy, Mark Jackson, and Jalen Rose were among the other NBA-focused talents to be laid off by ESPN.

Russini’s departure also comes as longtime ESPN host Bomani Jones was not offered a contract renewal. NBA analyst Vince Carter is also facing an expiring contract that’s not expected to be renewed as Disney continues its cost-cutting measures.

The New York Times recently said The Athletic recorded an operating loss of $7.8 million during the second quarter. In July, the NYT shut down its sports desk and offered to move the impacted journalists to other departments as The Athletic’s staff effectively became its sports department.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

3 ABC Games Top 10M Viewers Each in ESPN’s Record CFB Weekend

Miami–Notre Dame led the way with 10.8 million viewers.

Bill Belichick’s UNC Debut Draws More Than 6M Viewers on ESPN

TCU-UNC was the fifth-most-watched college football game of Week 1.

Ohio State–Texas Showdown Was Most-Watched Week 1 CFB Game Ever

Fox drew 16.62 million viewers on Saturday afternoon.
The cast of ESPN College GameDay begins their show prior to the NCAA football game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Texas Longhorns at Ohio Stadium on Aug. 30, 2025. The show is the final one for Lee Corso.

OSU Sophomore Wins $250K in McAfee ‘GameDay’ Kicking Contest

The former NFL punter started offering prize money for kicks in 2023.

Featured Today

Oct 13, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) and wide receiver A.J. Brown (11) celebrate their touchdown pass during the second quarter against the Cleveland Browns at Lincoln Financial Field.

TV Ratings Just Changed Again. The NFL Will Be the Big Winner

Nielsen’s new viewership system will have a big impact on sports.
Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) celebrates with offensive lineman Donovan Jackson (74) after a touchdown catch against Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the first quarter during the College Football Playoff National Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on January 20, 2025.
August 30, 2025

The Most Expensive Roster Year in College Football History

The House settlement created revenue-sharing—and a big NIL loophole.
August 26, 2025

‘You’re Going to Get Beat Up’: The Liberty’s All-Male Practice Squad

A select group suits up weekly to take on the defending champs.
August 24, 2025

The Honey Deuce Effect: How Tennis Perfected the Signature Cocktail

Sold every 1.5 seconds, they total more than $12 million in sales.

TNT Sports to Try Its Own Streaming App After WBD Split

TNT Sports will have its own app as a corporate split approaches.
September 2, 2025

NFL on Nielsen’s Latest Measurement Upgrade: ‘More Work to Be Done’

The league calls its relationship with the agency a “protracted journey.”
Eagles
September 4, 2025

The Death of Streameast Has Been Greatly Exaggerated

Mirror sites began popping up Thursday, the day the NFL season begins.
Sponsored

Trailblazer Cal Calamia Is Racing for ‘Advocacy, Storytelling, and Performance’

The marathoner wants excellence—not just inclusion—to be the goal for non-binary athletes.
September 1, 2025

Lee Corso’s Farewell Delivers Record ‘College GameDay’ Viewership

ESPN averaged 3.5 million viewers, per preliminary figures.
August 28, 2025

NFL Preseason Sees 17% Jump in TV Ratings, Best Since 2018

Average audiences for the exhibition games increase sharply from last year.
Tom Brady
August 27, 2025

NFL Continues to Loosen Tom Brady Restrictions

Brady will be able to attend production meetings–remotely–this season.
ESPN
August 27, 2025

Disney Sues Sling TV Over $5 Day Passes Granting ESPN Access

Newly introduced short-term subscriptions spark a legal challenge.