The day is far from over, but it’s already been one of the darkest days for ESPN. The “Worldwide Leader in Sports,” started announcing widespread layoffs in the morning with the number of cuts expected to reach at least 100 by day’s end.

News went viral as #ESPNLayoffs quickly started trending on social media. And there was no shortage of big names either.

Former NFL players Trent Dilfer and Danny Kanell were let go as well as former MLB general manager Jim Bowden and longtime NFL reporter Ed Werder. College football lost Brett McMurphy, Ted Miller, Brian Bennett, Max Olson and Chantel Jennings. College basketball won’t be the same either with Andy Katz, Dana O’Neil and Eamonn Brennan now gone. On-Air talent was lost too with SportsCenter anchors Jaymee Sire, Chris Hassel, and Jay Crawford all announcing that they were let go.

So how did this happen?

ESPN has spent billions of dollars for the rights to show college and professional sports. But at the same time, its subscriber base has continued to shrink. In just the past five years alone, the “Worldwide Leader in Sports” has lost over 10 million subscribers as many cut the cord for other streaming services.

Here’s the reaction from some of the most notable names in the business who were notified today of the heartbreaking news.

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