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FiveThirtyEight Shuts Down After Layoffs, Leaves Analytics Void

3/6/2025

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Summary

Silver Critiques Closure

FiveThirtyEight, founded by Nate Silver, has closed due to layoffs at ABC News, affecting 15 employees.
The site, recognized for political and sports analytics, stopped sports content production in 2023 after Silver left.
Silver criticized Disney's management for failing to support FiveThirtyEight as a sustainable business.
The closure creates a void in accessible sports analytics, with no comparable site available.

Summary

Disney Cuts Jobs

Disney's ABC News Group and Disney Entertainment Networks will cut nearly 200 jobs, about 6% of their workforce, mainly in ABC News New York.
The closure of the political site FiveThirtyEight will lead to 15 job losses.
ABC News will streamline programming by merging teams for "Good Morning America" and long-form shows.
This restructuring seeks to unify digital and social operations with news gathering amid traditional media challenges.

History

Historical Context

The closure of FiveThirtyEight echoes the fate of other media outlets facing corporate mismanagement. Similar to the collapse of Newsweek in 2012, which suffered from declining support and strategic missteps, FiveThirtyEight's downfall underscores the challenges of sustaining niche journalism in a rapidly evolving media landscape.

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Silver Critiques Closure

FiveThirtyEight, founded by Nate Silver, has closed due to layoffs at ABC News, affecting 15 employees.
The site, recognized for political and sports analytics, stopped sports content production in 2023 after Silver left.
Silver criticized Disney's management for failing to support FiveThirtyEight as a sustainable business.
The closure creates a void in accessible sports analytics, with no comparable site available.

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