Ryan Clark says ESPN dismissal was mishandled on purpose
The short version
- Ryan Clark learned of his ESPN layoff during a July NFL Live broadcast via a call from VP of production Seth Markman.
- ESPN moved up the notification after OutKick prepared to report his exit; Clark believes the story came from a leak.
- Clark says the mishandling was deliberate and never returned to ESPN air after that show.
- He has since built The Pivot, which has a Netflix deal, an NFL Films partnership, and backing from Howard Schultz.
The former NFL Live analyst recounts learning of his ESPN layoff mid-broadcast in July and calls the handling deliberate.
Ryan Clark has gone public with his account of the phone call that ended his ESPN tenure, telling Craig Melvin's Glass Half Full podcast that he learned of the network's decision while NFL Live was still being broadcast in July. He said an internal text from showrunner Lydelle King prompted him to call ESPN vice president of production Seth Markman during a commercial break.
According to Clark, Markman told him the decision came from others, saying "they" were letting him go, and that OutKick had the story and was ready to publish. Clark had suspected his position was at risk, describing the situation as the company's best-kept internal secret. OutKick's Bobby Burack later said the outlet gave ESPN's PR staff an hour of notice so the network could inform Clark first.
Clark said he offered to finish the episode, but Markman advised him not to return to the air. He credited Markman with supporting him internally and said Markman was the executive he would have wanted to make that call. The episode marked his final ESPN appearance.
Clark believes the way events unfolded was intentional and aimed at humiliating him. ESPN drew heavy criticism over the handling of the layoff, which came amid broader cuts across ESPN and NFL Network.
Since leaving, Clark has expanded his production company, The Pivot, which has a Netflix deal, an NFL Films partnership and an investment from Howard Schultz. He said the public nature of his exit revealed difficulties he had faced behind the scenes and generated the support that helped him move into this next chapter.
