Another round of layoffs are hitting ESPN, and this time one of the network\u2019s key executives is getting swept up in them.<\/p>\n
Ilan Ben-Hanan is the Senior Vice President of Programming and Content Strategy<\/a> at the network, a position that he has held since 2023. Ben-Hanan joined ESPN in 2002 and led network content strategy across all of ESPN\u2019s linear networks and digital platforms. In recent years, he and his teams were the ones balancing the upcoming stretch<\/a> of managing both NBA and NHL playoff schedules on ESPN airwaves. Previously, he had held senior leadership roles in ESPN\u2019s college sports portfolio<\/a> overseeing their conference networks as well as rights acquisitions.<\/p>\n This round of layoffs affecting ESPN was first reported earlier this month<\/a> and expected to reach around 30 people. The exercise is happening in part because of lost revenue from the extended YouTube TV carriage dispute last fall.<\/p>\n As Ben-Hanan\u2019s departure was reported by John Ourand at Puck<\/a>, the ESPN executive also issued his own statement on social media saying that his time with the WorldWide Leader in Sports was coming to an end later this year.<\/p>\n My time @espn<\/a> will be coming to an end later this year. After almost 24 years, I can boil my experience here down to one word \u2013 gratitude.<\/p>\n Where else could I pitch the idea for Jimmy V Week, and have it turn into an annual initiative that\u2019s raised over $100M for cancer research?\u2026<\/p>\n \u2014 Ilan Ben-Hanan (@IBH) April 17, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Ben-Hanan\u2019s statement reads in full:<\/p>\n