ESPN Signs Long-Term Deals With Kolber, Wingo

ESPN, which has been shedding expensive talent recently, said it signed new long-term deals with announcers Suzy Kolber and Trey Wingo.

The sports giant has announced the departures of Bill Simmons, Keith Olbermann and Colin Cowherd in recent months, a development that has been pegged to a cost-cutting effort in response to a decline in subscribers and a soft advertising market.

Kolber and Wingo will work on ESPN’s pro football coverage.

Kolber will be the full-time on-site host of the Monday Night Countdown pregame show. She filled in that role for Stuart Scott, who was battling cancer and ultimately succumbed. Kolber will also continue to host weekday editions of NFL Insiders and be part of NFL draft and Super Bowl coverage.

Wingo will be part of a new Sunday morning pregame show, in addition to hosting his afternoon show and the Monday NFL PrimeTime highlights show.

“Suzy and Trey have helped shape our daily presentation of NFL news and information as much as anyone, so it is particularly exciting to see them expand into even bigger roles with ESPN this season and in the years ahead,” said Seth Markman, senior coordinating producer, NFL studio shows for ESPN. “Not only do they bring out the best in our analysts and insiders, they are highly respected in NFL circles and trusted by our viewers."

Jon Lafayette

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.