Saturday, August 15, 2026

Creative Departure

ESPN to Move More Written Content Behind ESPN+ Paywall
Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

ESPN Executive Vice President of Content Connor Schell is departing the company at the end of the year. Schell was a major creative force behind ESPN successes like “The Last Dance” and “OJ: Made in America.”

“As ESPN has tried to move away from live sports and expand content they own and control — nobody was more important to their future than Connor,” Lightshed media analyst Rich Greenfield told FOS.

Ryan Spoon, ESPN’s former senior vice president of social and digital content, recently left to become BetMGM’s chief operating officer. The losses at the top of the company bookend the network’s decision to lay off 300 workers and let 200 open positions remain unfilled.

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