Kenny Mayne to Leave ESPN After 27 Years

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Kenny Mayne is leaving ESPN after 27 years. The former “SportsCenter” host and longtime on-air personality described his departure as a “salary cap casualty.”

“I am leaving ESPN. Salary cap casualty. Thanks for the opportunity Vince Doria & Al Jaffe & for taking my solicitations,” Mayne wrote on Twitter Monday. “I will miss the people. I will miss the vending machine set up over by the old Van Pelt joint. We had everything.”

An individual with knowledge of the situation told TheWrap Mayne was offered a deal to remain with the network, but declined. ESPN had no comment.

Mayne first joined ESPN in 1994 and was one of the main “SportsCenter” anchors, before moving on to doing more esoteric and offbeat features. He had returned to anchoring the 11 p.m. ET version of “SportsCenter” sporadically in recent years.

ESPN has been in cost-cutting mode on the editorial side since late last year. In November, ESPN boss Jimmy Pitaro revealed to staff that the company was laying off 300 employees and revoking 200 open positions. That was followed by the shuttering of the eSports’ division.

In 2021, ESPN signed two major media rights deals. In a few weeks-span, ESPN renewed its deal with the NFL that will, among many things, add ABC to the Super Bowl rotation, as well as reached a deal with the NHL that will return pro hockey to the network for the first time since 2004.

Mayne’s departure follows that of another longtime anchor, Trey Wingo, who departed last year.

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