Keith Olbermann will be a free agent as he and ESPN did not reach agreement on a contract extension.
James Andrew Miller, author of the book about ESPN, first reported the news.
The second @KeithOlbermann era at @espn has come to a close. There will be no new contract. Current deal which was two years ends 7/31.
— James Andrew Miller (@JimMiller) July 8, 2015
This was "business decision" from @espn pov; want parting with @KeithOlbermann to be amicable.
— James Andrew Miller (@JimMiller) July 8, 2015
ESPN issued this statement on the matter:
“Keith is a tremendous talent who has consistently done timely, entertaining and thought-provoking work since returning to ESPN. While the show’s content was distinctive and extremely high quality, we ultimately made a business decision to move in another direction. We wish Keith nothing but the best and trust that his skill and ability will lead him to another promising endeavor.”
A previous report said ESPN was unhappy with some of Olbermann’s commentary and wanted to censor some of it.
With ESPN reportedly making a conscious effort to cut costs, parting ways with Olbermann makes sense.