US broadcaster ESPN is set to close down its high school sports-focused operation, but will continue to televise sport at that level.
The SportsBusiness Daily website said that about 75 people would lose their jobs as ESPN discontinues its ESPNHS.com high school sport-dedicated website by mid-September and ceases publication of two high school magazines. ESPN will also stop organising high school sporting events.
The report said the business was being scaled back due to it being “too locally focused and not broad enough.”
However, the report added that there are no suggestions that high school action will be cut from the broadcaster’s programming schedule, with about 30 high school American football games scheduled to be broadcast on ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU later this year, along with basketball games.