Fox Sports News announce staff redundancies from sports’ channel but insists it’s not due to coronavirus pandemic

Fox Sports News have announced 20 staff redundancies from the sports’ channel during weekdays but insists it’s not due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Staff were informed of the changes on Wednesday, with reduced programming to take place out of peak traffic periods.

A greater focus will continue on the morning sports bulletins and evening programs, with Head of Fox Sports Peter Campbell saying the changes will come into effect at the end of March.

“This decision is not about the coronavirus (COVID-19) and its impact on sport,” Mr Campbell told The Australian.

“It simply reflects viewers are consuming sports news in different ways and at different times together with the same challenging conditions in the advertising market that are impacting the entire entertainment industry.

“It is too soon to determine what the long-term effects of the pandemic may be on the industry as a whole and our business.”

“I must reiterate FOX SPORTS News is an incredibly important brand to Foxtel and Kayo providing premium sports video content for our own digital assets including foxsports.com.au and our social media, as well as across the News Corp Masthead websites.

Campbell told The Australian the news channel would continue to be available on services like Qantas, while acknowledging the implications of the cuts.

“I know many of us will know colleagues who have been affected by the changes announced today, and I would like to thank them all for their contribution to FOX SPORTS News and wish them well for the future,” he said.

The cuts come after Sky News and Nine Entertainment made more than 30 staff redundant from business channel last year.