With the cash flow that the National Football League generates year in and year out, you might think that all divisions of this organization are financially healthy; obviously, that is not the truth. According to SportsTicker, NFL Films has laid off 21 of its 283 employees recently, including some who have been with the company for decades; this was first reported by Philadelphia.org. The layoff news came from the Football League, which owns NFL Films.
NFL Films web design manager Steve Sabol, who co-founded the business with his father, Ed Sabol, in the 1960s, sent the news privately to employees; Sabol mentioned that HBO's decision not to renew the long-running series, "Inside the NFL," was a primary reason behind the layoffs. The program itself generated about $5 million for the league.
NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy stated, "Films is experiencing global economic challenges like any other advertising agency and the print market. Ongoing production differences also pushed us to re-evaluate the way we approach competition. To handle these issues, NFL Films has had to seek ways to better streamline its business, which resulted in the loss of 21 people." Also according to the report, an NFL general manager said the ongoing issues in the American football circle also played a role in the layoffs; McCarthy declined further comments.