• Loading stock data...
Thursday, May 29, 2025

ESPN Not Expected to Renew Bomani Jones’ Contract

  • Jones, the longtime on-air ESPN personality and current podcast host, will see his contract expire on July 31.
  • “The economic fate of people in sports media is getting dicier and dicier by the day,” Jones told FOS.
Jones' deal with ESPN is up July 31st.
(Photo by Gabriella Ricciardi / ESPN Images)

ESPN does not plan to renew the contract of journalist Bomani Jones, Front Office Sports has confirmed. His current contract with ESPN expires at the end of this month as the network separately laid off 20 on-air personalities amid broader cost-cutting moves from parent company Disney. 

Last fall, Jones signed a contract extension with ESPN to host his three-times per week podcast, “The Right Time with Bomani Jones.” His show is the second-highest-rated podcast among ESPN’s 35+ shows, but the network has not shown interest in renewing his contract. Jones spoke to FOS in New York before he made a speech at the Writers Guild of America’s Sports Solidarity Day held on the picket line outside of the CBS Broadcast Center.

“The economic fate of people in sports media is getting dicier and dicier by the day,” Jones told FOS. “I think the ESPN layoffs were the beginning of it in a lot of ways. Seeing what happened [with] the New York Times shutting down their sports department and they moved those people to other desks, but at some point they’re probably going to deem those people to be surplus and they’re not going to be there anymore.” 

Jones started writing for ESPN in 2004 and was notably a co-host for two ESPN TV shows, “Highly Questionable” with Dan Le Batard and “High Noon” with Pablo Torre. He’s also been a panelist on “Around the Horn” and appeared on shows such as “SportsCenter,” “First Take,” and “Outside the Lines.” His HBO late-night sports talk show “Game Theory with Bomani Jones” premiered in 2022 but was canceled after two seasons. 

Outkick first reported Jones’ pending ESPN departure.

Shannon Sharpe

Shannon Sharpe Could Score ‘Contributor’ Role With ESPN

Media free agent Shannon Sharpe has talked to ESPN about a role.
July 19, 2023

“Streaming can only to me become profitable if there are fewer players in the game, we just have so much stuff,” Jones said. “There is money being made on streaming, there just is a lot of money being spent on streaming that doesn’t necessarily generate the returns that one would expect.”

Notable on-air personalities let go last month by ESPN include Jeff Van Gundy, Jalen Rose, Max Kellerman, Suzie Kolber, Keyshawn Johnson, Todd McShay, and Gene Wojciechowski. FOS reported that ESPN also is not expected to renew the contract of NBA analyst Vince Carter. Disney is open to selling a stake in ESPN to a strategic partner, with the NFL, MLB, and NBA being discussed as potential suitors. 

“The idea of selling stakes to the leagues, I don’t even understand it,” Jones said. “Logically I don’t. I don’t know why that’s a winner for the leagues, the leagues can’t be the only people who would be willing to buy such a stake. I don’t understand how that works.”

Among concerns for both the WGA and Jones is artificial intelligence’s impact on sports media. 

“There’s a level of creativity that the computers are never going to be able to replace that will always necessitate people,” Jones said. “What AI can do is write a game story. There’s a lot of things in our world that AI can do that really can affect the employment prospects that a lot of us have in this game.”

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

NBA East Finals Delivers Strong TV Ratings, but West Is Struggling

The Knicks and Thunder are both up 3–1 in their conference finals series.
Mar 16, 2025; Fort Worth, TX, USA; UAB Blazers forward Yaxel Lendeborg (3) looks to pass as Memphis Tigers forward Dain Dainja (42) defends during the first half at Dickies Arena.

Projected NBA First-Rounder Picks Michigan Over Entering Draft

Houston’s Milos Uzan also withdrew from the NBA draft.
exclusive

ESPN’s Ashley ShahAhmadi Targeted by NBC, Prime for NBA Role

ShahAhmadi has covered high-profile college football and NBA games for ESPN.

Featured Today

How Rolex Paved the Way for Luxury’s Love Affair With Tennis

“It’s almost impossible to think about tennis without thinking about Rolex.”
Mar 23, 2025; Miami, FL, USA; Alexandra Eala (PHI) reacts after winning a point against Madison Keys (USA)(not pictured) on day six of the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium.
May 24, 2025

Alex Eala Is Defying Her Country’s Odds to Make French Open History

The Philippines native has overcome a unique set of financial odds.
May 24, 2025

Indiana Is the Center of the Basketball Universe—Thanks to Both Pro Teams

The Fever and Pacers are thriving at the same time.
Around the Horn - October 26, 2020
May 23, 2025

‘Quirky, Nutty, Bombastic’: 10 ‘Around the Horn’ Faces on Their Top Moments

“A quirky, nutty, bombastic, mostly wrong, sometimes right, crazy sports family.”
Around the Horn

Behind the Scenes of Around the Horn’s Final Days

FOS followed Tony Reali at the penultimate taping of the ESPN icon.
May 21, 2025

Paige Bueckers’s WNBA Debut Delivers 121% Ratings Bump on Ion

Friday’s doubleheader averaged 612,000 viewers.
May 22, 2025

NBC Eyes MLB Rights, Looks to Own Sunday Nights Year-Round

The league continues to shop media rights being forfeited by ESPN.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

In Episode 7 of Portfolio Players, go inside the boardroom with Avenue Capital CEO and former Milwaukee Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry on Giannis’s future, women’s sports, and upstart leagues like TGL and Unrivaled. 
Dec 9, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) watches as center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) celebrates after making a three point basket to clinch a win against the Toronto Raptors near the end of the fourth quarter at Scotiabank Arena.
May 20, 2025

NBA Playoff TV Ratings Up 3% Ahead of Late-Round Test

Games are averaging 4.17 million viewers across ABC, ESPN, and TNT.
May 18, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Scottie Scheffler is interviewed after winning the PGA Championship golf tournament at Quail Hollow.
May 20, 2025

PGA Championship TV Ratings Dip As Scottie Scheffler Dominates Again

CBS drew an average of 4.76 million viewers for Sunday’s final round.
May 20, 2025

Caitlin Clark, Fever Draw Record 2.7M Viewers vs. Sky

Caitlin Clark recorded her third career triple-double.
Julie Foudy
exclusive
May 16, 2025

Julie Foudy Out at ESPN After Two Decades

Foudy and ESPN failed to reach an agreement on a new deal.