‘ET’ lays off about 17 staffers, mostly from digital team, in shift to more video

Syndicated entertainment news show “Entertainment Tonight” will cut about 17 staffers from its digital team as it shifts its online offerings to focus more on video.

“We are transforming ETonline.com to deliver more breaking news video and original interviews and streamlining our news gathering process to better reach our audiences across ET’s multiple platforms,” a spokesperson told Variety.

Other Variety sources noted that ETOnline.com will continue to be a key part of the brand. 

The website currently offers a stream of largely pre-produced content plus uses clips taken from the show and other sources to complement text-based stories. 

The layoffs take effect Sept. 7, 2024, Variety reported. Staffers have been told they have a job until then, which marks the end of the current 43rd season. Season 44 kicks off Sept. 9, 2024.

At least some new positions for the video efforts are expected to be added and affected employees will be eligible to apply for those roles.

“ET” previously cut about 10% of its staff, reportedly around 20 people, a year ago, which included parting ways with members of the graphics and post-production team as well as producers, digital writers and photo staffers. Two on-air correspondents’ contracts were not renewed.

At that time, the show said that reductions in digital offerings sparked the 2023 layoffs.

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In 2018, the show launched “ET Live,” a free stream with 15 hours of live programming a day meant to provide an entertainment news version of CBS News’ free streamer. It backtracked months later, significantly reducing the amount of live programming on the service.