Eisen's contract expired this past weekend. The network said it "decided not to pursue the renewal of his contract. Rich is a talented sportscaster, but he no longer wanted to focus on 'SportsCenter,' our signature franchise, and the area we felt he brought the greatest value."
Eisen, who joined ESPN in 1996, reportedly sought to branch out from his anchor role, but the network wants to keep the anchors like Dan Patrick, Stuart Scott, and Linda Cohn committed to just one show.
Eisen, who lives in New York City two hours from ESPN's Bristol, Connecticut, studios, and who is getting married this weekend, was up for a co-host slot at ESPN's new "Cold Pizza" morning show that debuts in October. When those discussions fell apart, so did his talks about staying with ESPN, according to sources close to the network.
Eisen, who joined ESPN in 1996, reportedly sought to branch out from his anchor role, but the network wants to keep the anchors like Dan Patrick, Stuart Scott, and Linda Cohn committed to just one show.
Eisen, who lives in New York City two hours from ESPN's Bristol, Connecticut, studios, and who is getting married this weekend, was up for a co-host slot at ESPN's new "Cold Pizza" morning show that debuts in October. When those discussions fell apart, so did his talks about staying with ESPN, according to sources close to the network.