ESPN to Shut Down ‘ESPN The Magazine’ in September

ESPN is ending the print version of its ESPN The Magazine in September, ending a 21-year run.

The announcement was made to employees during a staff meeting on Tuesday morning, according to Sports Business Daily.

It is likely that there will be layoffs by the time the magazine ceases production, but that announcement will be made at a later date. However, some employees are already said to have been re-assigned to other spots in the company.

In a statement, ESPN cited the changing magazine market as a reason for the decision to end publication.

“Consumer habits are evolving rapidly, and this requires ESPN to evolve as well. The only change here is that we are moving away from printing it on paper and sending it in the mail. … Our data shows the vast majority of readers already consume our print journalism on digital platforms, and this approach will maximize our reach and impact,” ESPN said in a statement sent to SBD.

While ESPN said it may still publish special issues in the future, one source told SBD that the magazine never did break even with sales compared to production costs.

Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston.