‘Loyalty Doesn’t Pay’ — Former ESPN Star Reveals Her Salary Was Cut by ‘80%’ at the End of Tenure With Network
‘Loyalty Doesn’t Pay’ — Former ESPN Star Reveals Her Salary Was Cut by ‘80%’ at the End of Tenure With Network
Arjun Bernardshaw Fri, October 30, 2026 at 2:37 AM UTC
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‘Loyalty Doesn’t Pay’ — Former ESPN Star Reveals Her Salary Was Cut by ‘80%’ at the End of Tenure With Network
Former SportsCenter anchor Linda Cohn has opened up about the financial challenges she faced late in her 34-year career at ESPN, revealing that the network slashed her salary by 80%.
During an appearance on “The Sage Steele Show,” the Hall of Fame broadcaster discussed how ESPN’s changing business strategy, the closure of its Los Angeles studio, and contract negotiations affected her final years with the network.
Linda Cohn Reveals 80% ESPN Pay Cut After LA SportsCenter Shutdown
ESPN’s decision to end Los Angeles-based SportsCenter production and relocate the late-night edition to Bristol, Connecticut, marked a turning point for Cohn. Although the network’s larger Los Angeles facility remained operational, the move eliminated the regular anchoring role she had held on the West Coast.
With her ESPN contract set to expire in June 2025, Cohn faced a choice between leaving the network and accepting a substantially reduced role. She ultimately agreed to a one-year extension, which she now says involved an 80% reduction in salary.
“They cut my salary 80% after they closed the LA studio,” Cohn said. “Oh yeah, they had no place for a Linda Cohn. By the way, I felt bad more for my colleagues, the people behind the scenes in Los Angeles. They told them, sorry, we’re closing down for SportsCenter. Either you come to Bristol, or basically you’re looking for another job.
“So, at that point, my deal was up, and I was like, I’m not going to let them rush me into a decision. And I didn’t want to end my tenure that way. So, I accepted their 80% pay cut.”
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However, staying with the network didn’t turn out as she had hoped. Despite expecting to work on live events and NHL coverage from the West Coast, Cohn said she received precious few assignments.
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“Loyalty doesn’t pay,” Cohn said. “I ended up doing about five events. That’s it. I was like out of sight, out of mind.”
She added that she even approached ESPN executives about covering games involving the Vegas Golden Knights and the Los Angeles Kings, given her West Coast location. However, those requests went unanswered.
Cohn made her SportsCenter debut on July 11, 1992, and officially left ESPN on June 30, 2026. During her 34-year run, she hosted more than 5,500 episodes of the flagship sports program, making her the longest-tenured anchor in its history.
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Linda Cohn Moves Into Independent Media After ESPN Exit
Following her departure from ESPN, Cohn began building her presence in digital media, moving away from traditional television broadcasting and launching independent projects.
Cohn launched her own YouTube program on July 20, 2026. “The Linda Cohn Show” features her take on major sports stories, front-office developments, and women’s sports, including the WNBA and Caitlin Clark.
She also signed a media and distribution agreement with Bleav, a digital podcast network, to bring her long-form audio and video content to a wider audience.
Cohn has also expanded her reach through Instagram and Facebook Reels, sharing short videos covering sports, pop culture, and music.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.
Source: “AOL Money”
