• Loading stock data...
Saturday, August 2, 2025
Tuned In returns to NYC on September 16. Hear from the biggest names in sports media. Click here to get your spot

Katie Nolan ‘Devastated’ by ESPN’s Layoff of Her Podcast Co-Host

  • Nolan signed her new deal before hearing co-host Ashley Braband was out at ESPN.
  • ‘This is the only thing I have to do and now I have to do it alone,’ Nolan said.

Katie Nolan has signed a new contract with ESPN. But Nolan went on her podcast on Nov. 17 to share how “devastated” she is that Ashley Braband, co-host of “Sports? With Katie Nolan,” is being laid off by ESPN.

Nolan said she renewed her deal before learning her show producer was being let go.

Braband’s pending departure in January “f—— sucks,” Nolan said.

The Worldwide Leader in Sports recently announced the worst job cuts in its 41-year history, laying off 300 staffers and letting 200 open positions go unfilled.

On her Nov. 17 podcast, Nolan and Braband discussed the “gigantic elephant” in the room. Namely, that Braband was losing her job as director of digital video after 13 years at ESPN.

“We didn’t know this was happening. Some of us didn’t know this was happening to the point where they recently signed a contract,” Nolan said.

“So we are now in a situation where this is the only thing I have to do — and now I have to do it alone, I think.”

During the episode, Nolan and Braband said they took a week off from their show since “emotions” were running high. 

They discussed the challenge of looking for a new job in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic — and the resulting sports media recession which has sparked industry-wide layoffs, salary cuts, and furloughs.  

espn_logo_on_camera

ESPN Announces Biggest Job Layoffs in 41-Year History

ESPN announced the largest layoffs in its 41-year history, cutting 300 staffers…
November 5, 2020

“I am finding it hard to balance being devastated for you — and then being devastated for me at the loss of you,” Nolan said.

If Nolan had known Braband was out, she hinted she might not have signed her contract extension with ESPN.

“Finding a job in a pandemic is incredibly difficult. And I would say the No. 1 reason I signed a contract. It had a lot less to do with other factors I would normally take into consideration. And also the contract is a lot less favorable than one I would normally agree to,” Nolan said. 

“I guess I didn’t realize how much I was settling because I didn’t know Ashley was going to be gone. But it is very difficult to find a job right now.”

Nolan predicted her podcast would not be as good without Braband, a widely respected production executive. But Braband urged listeners to be patient. 

The show will continue to excel because of its main star. “Every time you touch content, it’s good content,” Braband told Nolan.

mike_golic_sr_smiling

Q&A: Mike Golic Sr. Talks TV Free Agency and Breakup of ‘Mike..

Mike Golic Sr. opens up on ESPN’s cancellation of “Golic and Wingo,”…
November 18, 2020

As she searches for a new job, Braband won’t appear on all of the pod’s remaining episodes this year. The twice-weekly show’s last episode in 2020 is scheduled for mid-December. 

Nolan is not the only ESPN star surprised to learn that one of their key staffers was swept up in the recent layoffs. 

Dan Le Batard was insulted that ESPN laid off Dan Cote, one of his show producers in Miami, without telling him first.

“We were blindsided by him being let go. It’s the greatest disrespect of my professional career that I got no notice, no collaboration,” Le Batard told the New York Times. “I would’ve loved to have worked something out if somebody had told me, to protect him.”

Le Batard then announced he would rehire Cote — and pay his salary out of his own pocket. 

Nolan jumped to ESPN from Fox Sports in October 2017. As part of her new deal, Nolan will continue to make cross-platform appearances on shows like Le Batard’s “Highly Questionable” and Tony Reali’s “Around the Horn.” 

ESPN declined to comment. 

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Bristol Motor Speedway

MLB’s Long Road to Its Most Unusual Game Yet

The special-event game features a unique blending of baseball and racing.
Troy Taylor

Ex-Stanford Coach Troy Taylor Sues ESPN for Defamation

Taylor was fired after a pair of 3–9 seasons.
opinion

Could Chad Ochocinco Be ESPN’s Shannon Sharpe Replacement?

ESPN moved on from Sharpe after he settled a sexual assault lawsuit.
Mike Repole

Billionaire Mike Repole Taking Ownership Stake in UFL

Repole is the cofounder of Vitaminwater and Body Armor. 

Featured Today

Coco Gauff at New York Liberty

How the New York Liberty Became the Hottest Ticket in Town

Once banished to the burbs, the Libs are now Brooklyn’s marquee attraction.
Las Vegas sign
July 29, 2025

College Sports Embracing Vegas After Years of Cold Shoulder

The Big Ten became the latest newcomer to Sin City.
2000, Jupiter, FL, USA; FILE PHOTO; Montreal Expos pitcher Hideki Irabu in action on the mound against the New York Mets at Roger Dean Stadium during Spring Training
July 28, 2025

Dead Sports Franchises Are Alive and Well on Twitter

The Expos, Sonics, and Whalers have active social media accounts.
Limited Hype
July 27, 2025

Sneaker Reselling Was Once Easy Money. Success Is Now Complicated

Vendors need to evolve what they’re selling and how they do it.
Jul 15, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) reacts to the crowd as they take on the Connecticut Sun in the first quarter at TD Garden.

WNBA Viewership Up Across All Networks Compared to 2024

Non-Fever games are up 37% compared to the full 2024 season.
Jul 27, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Sky guard Kia Nurse (11) drives to the basket against Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham (8) during the second half at United Center.
July 29, 2025

Fever-Sky Draws 1.5M Viewers Despite Clark, Reese Absences

Clark and Reese both missed the game due to injury.
NASCAR Cup Series driver Bubba Wallace (23) celebrates winning Sunday, July 27, 2025, the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
July 30, 2025

Amazon, TNT Post Near-Identical NASCAR Ratings in Debut Season

The cable channel is a new media-rights partner this season.
Sponsored

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

Dealmaker Jeffrey Kaplan maps the evolution of sports as an asset class
July 29, 2025

WBD Restructuring Shows What’s Old Is New Again

WBD will become Warner Bros. and Discovery Global as two separate entities.
HAPPY GILMORE 2. BTS - (L to R) Adam Sandler as Happy Gilmore and Rory McIlroy as himself on the set of Happy Gilmore2.
July 26, 2025

‘Cool As Hell’: How ‘Happy Gilmore 2’ Hooked Golf’s Top Stars

The process was “cool as hell,” Adam Sandler tells FOS.
July 24, 2025

CBS Sports to Get New Owner As Skydance Merger Clears FCC Hurdle

The long-awaited, but highly debated, merger gains regulatory approval.
Dec 7, 2024; New York, New York, USA; A general view of Times Square during the MLS Cup Times Square Watch Party prior to the game between the LA Galaxy and the New York Red Bulls.
July 24, 2025

MLS Reveals Apple TV Streaming Numbers, Raising Questions

The league gives a rare glimpse inside the high-profile streaming pact.