Maria Taylor and ESPN Officially Part Ways

ESPN and sports analyst Maria Taylor have jointly announced that they are officially parting ways.

Both parties announced they could not agree on a contract extension for Taylor, making her Game 6 appearance at the NBA Finals her last assignment for the network.

Sources claim Taylor is already planning to take her talents to NBC and is expected to complete a contract to join the network’s upcoming Tokyo Olympics coverage. 

“Maria’s remarkable success speaks directly to her abilities and work ethic,” ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro said in a statement released on Twitter.

“There is no doubt we will miss Maria, but we remain determined to continue to build a deep and skilled talent roster that thoroughly reflects the athletes we cover and the fans we serve. While she chose to pursue a new opportunity, we are proud of the work we’ve done together,” he continued.

ESPN & @MariaTaylor jointly announced today that after much discussion, an agreement on a contract extension could not be reached

As a result, her last assignment for ESPN was last night's NBA Finals telecast

Comments from Jimmy Pitaro & Maria Taylor: https://t.co/yNSoLzKCP8 pic.twitter.com/bFjIQ6myzX

— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) July 21, 2021