Vox Media (SB Nation) staff cuts

[maumann]

I had no idea a blogging site had enough actual employees to terminate 130 people. Still, anyone losing a job in this economy sucks.

Vox Media Lays Off About 130 Employees, 7% of Workforce

 

[justgladtobehere]

Is blue font implied? Vox.com is more than a blogging site.

 

[nickp]

SB Nation cutting funding for all MLS soccer blogs is a disgrace

 

[JimmyHoward33]

Would be fascinating to see the difference in traffic volume between MLS and NHL (also all axed) just to get a handle on sport popularity

 

[Mr. X]

SB Nation cutting funding for all MLS soccer blogs is a disgrace

What do you know about Vox's revenue and the cost to fund MLS blogs?

 

[dixiehack]

They rolled out a new comments system (Coral) that has been universally hated across the sites, and they've seen a pretty big drop off in comment activity on what used to be some of their highest traffic sites, which may or may not have to do with moderation crackdowns.

 

[Woody Long]

What do you know about Vox's revenue and the cost to fund MLS blogs?

Considering that most of the SBNation sites are content farms, especially for the niche sports like MLS, I can't imagine they were making money. MLS has a passionate and vocal fanbase. Unfortunately, it's also very small, despite what both the fans and the league would tell you.

As an aside: When I was still at a newspaper, a guy called and asked to speak to me. He gave me a 15-minute diatribe on how we "hate soccer" and "have to give the world's game the attention that it deserved" by covering the local MLS team... which we did for several years, and it never drew any level of online readership and when we stopped, no one complained. The team finally gets in the playoffs years later, and this guy calls, punctuating his argument with, "If you guys don't cover this, it's never going to take off!" I told him that's not my problem, that's the league's problem.

This was 22 years after MLS started.

 

[Typist Clerk]

Is blue font implied? Vox.com is more than a blogging site.

No, links show up in blue.

 

[JimmyHoward33]

Clarifying what I posted about the NHL being axed I guess they cut 28 hockey blogs and are keeping 6

 

[justgladtobehere]

I saw a couple of MLS sites post that they are mo longer being 'supported.'

 

[Twirling Time]

I thought some outfit in Houston bought SB Nation Radio. Was that just a licensing deal?

 

[MeanGreenATO]

SB Nation has shuttered its podcast network. Believe The Athletic is also starting to spin down some of its team-centric pods, too.