Matthew Berry (legally obligated to add “The Talented Mr. Roto”) announced today that he’s leaving ESPN after over fifteen years at the company.
So… some personal news: This is my last week at ESPN. pic.twitter.com/cDcVgN2BSc
— Matthew Berry (@MatthewBerryTMR) July 11, 2022
ESPN also put out a statement:
ESPN statement regarding @MatthewBerryTMR, who will make one final ESPN appearance on Monday https://t.co/SjjIeO4jgH pic.twitter.com/muxrUOBatl
— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) July 11, 2022
Berry’s decade-and-a-half at ESPN coincided with, if anything, an ever-increasing boom for fantasy sports. That put him in a solid niche for the company, although the landscape looks much, much different now than when he started in 2007. The rise of DFS and legalized sports gambling flipped what counted as more mainstream fantasy sports.
However, for someone like Berry with a brand and history in this specific marketplace, the time is probably never going to be better to take a leap away from ESPN. Gambling companies are still writing big checks at the moment, a market that unlike crypto feels more sustainable going forward at this point. (A negative for anyone tired of seeing ads during every commercial break, but a net win for anyone looking to cash in on the proliferation.)
That’s not to say that’s where Berry is definitively heading, of course. We’re not breaking any news here on that front. (This is also an excellent time for someone in fantasy sports/sports betting to take some time off before starting a new gig ahead of football season.) But it’s a good time to be in demand in sports media in general, especially when your background lines up with the gambling side of the industry.
About Jay Rigdon
Jay is a columnist at Awful Announcing. He is not a strong swimmer. He is probably talking to a dog in a silly voice at this very moment.