When did Matthew Berry Leave ESPN?
When did Matthew Berry Leave ESPN?
By Edcel Panganiban July 17, 2024 08:46
Berry is the face of fantasy sports for ESPN in a 15-year run there. He served as senior fantasy sports analyst at ESPN since 2000, helping shape that site's pro football coverage in several areas. His unique and irreverent style has been a rarity in fantasy sports, helping attract 1.1 million Twitter followers on his podcasts, the fastest of all time, and those fans who appreciate the humor portion. Berry was high in the first wave of guys who made fantasy football mainstream.
The Timing of His Departure
Berry publicly announced his exit from ESPN in July 2022, ending a nearly 15-year tenure with the network. ESPN also acknowledged Berry's exit, respecting his choice to seek other opportunities outside the network. With this departure, it was essentially the end of ESPN's fantasy football tool, which had been an important era for fans eagerly waiting to predict their future in a game. Their speculation has led them to muse about what comes next for its fantasy department.
Reasons for Departure
Berry was on the SI Media Podcast and blamed his leaving ESPN for several high-profile factors. First, he said he wants fantasy to be more closely related to NFL coverage and underscored the connection between conversations surrounding your list of players in his estimation. He also felt that it was important for him to be involved in NFL coverage.
Next, Berry said he could have had a new contract with ESPN, but self-contracts for his various side projects, such as FantasyLife.com, scuttled the talks. A new three-year extension offer and raise from ESPN included the caveat that Berry had to give up those side businesses he'd worked for years to accumulate. This major breaking point eventually led him to leave his ESPN position.
Impact and Reaction
Berry's departure from ESPN was barely felt within the sports media industry and among its followers. He received various reactions to his contribution's significant impact on the popularization of fantasy sports. However, his unique contribution to ESPN's League Managers Association (LMA) served as mixed feedback. Some bemoaned his exit, others paid tribute to him and criticized some of the work done during his time. Berry's exit also left unanswered what would happen with ESPN2's fantasy department and who would serve as a senior analyst for the network.
What Berry Has Been Up to Since Leaving ESPN
After Berry left ESPN he appeared next as the "Fantasy Analyst" on HBO's Ballers. His career trajectory took a pretty decided turn when NBC said Berry will appear on the network's "Football Night in America" pregame show and other NBC shows, along with being front and center during draft week. It exhibited his intention to be more in line with NFL reportage and an insight into a new path he would pursue moving forward.
On the Whole
The announcement of Matthew Berry's departure from ESPN signaled the end of an era for fantasy football in its various forms on that network. His choice to bail was driven by his desire to do more NFL work and his disagreements with ESPN during contract talks about maintaining some of his other business interests.
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