One of the faces of this latest (and ongoing) set of ESPN layoffs is Mike Soltys. Soltys, currently the company’s vice president of corporate communications, was a 43-year vet at the company, and their third-longest tenured employee. Here’s how he announced that back in April:
My final statement as ESPN Spokesperson: “43 Amazing Years. Wow. We wish him well.” https://t.co/qaWi807zBR
— Mike Soltys (@MichaelJSoltys) April 24, 2023
Alex Putterman of The New Haven Register (a former AA writer) spoke to Soltys and others about his career at ESPN ahead of his June 27 exit. That whole piece is an interesting read, with everyone from Chris Berman to Josh Krulewitz offering high praise for Soltys’ work and career. (Krulewitz’s “Everybody wanted his take on whatever they were dealing with” is perhaps particularly notable there, and illustrates Soltys’ importance to the company over the years.)
But what really stands out from that piece is Soltys’ comments on the overall layoffs. The current cuts, impacting dozens of people in April but an estimated fewer than 100 for this overall first wave, are part of an estimated 1,300 ESPN layoffs over the past decade. And that doesn’t include people who left voluntarily, semi-voluntarily, left through non-renewals, or reduced themselves to part-time status. That’s a big change for ESPN from much of the company’s trajectory over the decades, and a four-decade-plus veteran like Soltys has a valuable perspective on that. Here’s what some of what he had to say to Putterman on that front:
Asked about the network’s future amid yet another round of layoffs, Soltys excitedly praises the company’s ability to adapt in the social media age, reeling off stats on how many followers its accounts have on Snapchat, TikTok and other platforms. It may sound like he’s selling a company line — the way a good PR professional is supposed to — but these days he has little reason to lie.
Then he pauses, and it seems there’s a “but” coming.
“Showing this amount of people the door, not for performance reasons,” he says, “is very disappointing.”
That comment means a lot considering the source. It’s not that ESPN has always had smooth sailing; there have been plenty of rough times for the company over the years, including around various ownership transitions. And Soltys has been there for a lot of that. And as noted, this comes a lot of excitement from him around how the company is doing on multiple fronts, and it’s understandable why he would be dismayed about seeing a lot of talented people lose their jobs as part of a wider Disney cost-cutting initiative. So his comments here carry some force, and they maybe illustrate some of the mood inside ESPN these days.
Beyond that, though, it sounds like Soltys himself is adapting to this decently. He tells Putterman he’s planning to spend time with his family and his volunteer efforts, stay open to “something interesting and/or fun,” and maybe even write a book. And for now, he’s enjoying his last weeks at ESPN, and says he’s been grateful for the messages of support he’s received and the ride he has had.
“Very few people have a professional life like that, and I’m very grateful that I did. I’m already way more focused on that than the sadness.”
[The New Haven Register; photo from ESPN Press Room]
