ESPN’s Norby Williamson to exit network

ESPN exec Norby Williamson will depart the company after a nearly 40-year tenure following after becoming the target of a public rant by one of the network’s hosts.

Williamson, who most recently was a senior content officer, departs amid a controversy that started with on-air comments made by Aaron Rodgers, a paid contributor and New York Jets quarterback, suggesting that ABC host Jimmy Kimmel could be linked to Jeffrey Epstein.

Kimmel strongly denied that suggestion, and there is no evidence linking Kimmel to the accused sex trafficker who died in prison in 2019.

The comments were made on “The Pat McAfee Show” and sparked heated debate after they aired.

The host of that show, former NFLer Pat McAfee, later suggested that Williamson was leaking behind-the-scenes information  about the show, calling him a “rat” and accusing him of “sabotage.”

“There are folks actively trying to sabotage us from within ESPN. More specifically, I believe Norby Williamson is the guy attempting to sabotage our program,” McAfee said on his show in January 2024. “I’m not 100% sure, that is just seemingly the only human that has information, and then somehow that information gets leaked and it’s wrong, and then it sets a narrative of what our show is.”

McAfee would then attempt to distance himself from Rodgers, including barring him from appearing on his show for the rest of the season.

That said, a source told Variety that Williamson’s departure is not directly related to that issue, but rather a contentious relationship between content chief Burke Magnus.

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Williamson first joined ESPN in 1985 and has worked in various high profile roles throughout the company but started in the mailroom. 

“During Norby’s career, he made significant contributions across many important roles within Content,” reads a memo issued by Magnus April 5, 2024. “Through his steadfast commitment and attention to detail, Norby has had a lasting impact on the sports fans’ experience. His wide-ranging influence includes ‘SportsCenter,’ breaking news coverage, immense creativity within event and studio productions and diverse storytelling across various ESPN platforms.”

Magnus’ memo did not mention a reason for Williamson’s departure. 

Williamson also issued a statement about his departure. “Almost 40 years ago in 1985, I was so very fortunate to be offered an opportunity at ESPN. Due to the exceptional hard work, creativity and commitment of the people of ESPN, and to a much lesser extent my contributions, I’d like to think we’ve left our great company in a far better place than we found it,” he wrote.

It’s not clear if Williamson was offered an exit deal or not.