{
  "id": 17445088,
  "title": "‘Loyalty doesn’t pay’: Former ESPN star claims network slashed salary in final year",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/31/loyalty-doesnt-pay-former-espn-star-claims-network-slashed-salary-in",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-31T18:02:55.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/loyalty-doesn-t-pay-former-180255942.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "ESPN star Linda Cohn has revealed in a recent interview that the network slashed her salary by 80 percent in her final year. Cohn, who held the record for most appearances on SportsCenter, claimed she was cast aside after a year and a half of being the sole voice on the sport of hockey. She also recounted feeling deeply hurt and emotionally distressed, sobbing in the ladies' room multiple times due to the treatment she received. Cohn's final year with ESPN saw her relegated to a mere box in SportsCenter, and she revealed that they offered her a deal that cut her salary in half. Cohn has since launched her own podcast, The Linda Cohn Show, which is free from the confines of the network, allowing her to express herself more freely.",
  "summary": "Since retiring from ESPN this June, Linda Cohn has spoken at length about having “total freedom” and started her eponymous podcast shortly thereafter. The all-time record-holding SportsCenter host has not shied away from discussing what really happened during her 34 years at ESPN, at least from her perspective. This week, Cohn appeared on The Sage Steele Show, where…",
  "key_points": [
    "ESPN reduced Linda Cohn's salary by 80% in her final year.",
    "Cohn was the only female voice on hockey for ESPN.",
    "She left ESPN to start her own podcast, The Linda Cohn Show."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}