Norby Williamson, a longtime ESPN veteran who has overseen the network’s programming from covering breaking news to “SportsCenter,” is leaving after nearly four decades.
In a statement to ESPN staff on Friday, Williamson expressed gratitude for his time at the company since joining in 1985. He credited the hard work, creativity, and dedication of ESPN employees for contributing to the company's success during his tenure.
The departure follows a recent on-air confrontation with daytime host Pat McAfee, but a source familiar with the situation clarified that the McAfee incident was not the cause of Williamson's exit. Instead, it was reportedly due to a disagreement with ESPN content president Burke Magnus over the network's long-term strategy.
In January, McAfee publicly accused Williamson of sharing incorrect audience ratings for “The Pat McAfee” show on the network.
McAfee called out Williamson for allegedly attempting to undermine their program, citing leaked inaccurate information about the show's performance. He described it as a deliberate act of sabotage.
McAfee stated that his issue with Williamson stems from an incident in 2018 when Williamson failed to show up for a scheduled meeting, leading to a lack of respect for McAfee.
Since September 2017, Williamson has held the role of ESPN’s executive editor and head of event and studio production. His responsibilities included overseeing “SportsCenter,” “E60,” ESPN Radio, the ESPN Features Unit, Investigative Journalism Unit, news coverage, and multimedia sponsorship integration.
By June 2023, Williamson’s role expanded to include management of all ESPN football content, as well as the production of MLB, CWS, LLWS baseball, the NHL, the UFC, boxing, tennis, and golf.
Before his current position, Williamson served in various roles at ESPN, including executive vice president of production, program scheduling and development, and senior vice president and managing editor.
ESPN content president Burke Magnus announced plans to conduct a comprehensive search for a new senior content executive and will soon provide details about the interim reporting structure.
Magnus expressed appreciation for Williamson’s contributions to ESPN and wished him success in his future endeavors, assuring employees that he and his team would address any questions about the transition in the coming days.
