Popular TV personality and podcast host Katie Nolan is leaving ESPN, the 34-year-old announced Wednesday, joining Kenny Mayne, Trey Wingo, Mike Golic, Dan Le Batard, Tom Rinaldi and Will Cain among recent high-profile departures from the self-proclaimed “worldwide leader in sports.”
Nolan joined ESPN in 2017 following a four-year stint at Fox Sports, where she hosted Garbage Time with Katie Nolan, No Filter and NFL Films Presents, among other assignments. Despite offering a unique perspective, blending sports and comedy on Always Late (which aired on subscription-based ESPN+ until the network canceled it earlier this year), Nolan never found the right vehicle at ESPN, bouncing between shows while often disappearing from the airwaves for weeks at a time. In addition to her twice-weekly podcast, Sports? with Katie Nolan, the Hofstra alum was a frequent contributor to Highly Questionable, which concluded its decade-long run earlier this month.
ESPN’s recent exodus of on-air talent would suggest the company is headed in a new direction, prioritizing broadcasting rights over original programming under James Pitaro, who succeeded John Skipper as president in 2018. While Nolan’s calling cards are her sarcastic delivery and self-deprecating sense of humor, she’s also given insightful takes on important topics ranging from domestic violence (her monologue on Ray Rice is arguably what propelled her to stardom) to the challenges faced by women in sports media.
Though Nolan’s frustrating ESPN tenure likely wasn’t what she envisioned, it’s clear the Massachusetts native made plenty of allies in Bristol, receiving universal support from friends and colleagues on social media.
After four years of being criminally underutilized by ESPN, waiting for an opportunity that never materialized, hopefully Nolan’s next employer will make better use of her considerable skillset.
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