Vice Sports Site Shifts To Emphasis On Video As Parent Firm Lays Off 2% Of Workforce

Vice Media is "laying off about 2% of its 3,000 employees across multiple departments," and its Vice Sports outfit will "shift to a greater focus on video," according to Todd Spangler of VARIETY. Despite the cutbacks, the company is "looking [to] expand internationally and ramp up video production." A source said that the "layoffs of about 60 staffers" took place Friday (VARIETY.com, 7/21). Vice Sports Editor-in-Chief Jorge Arangure tweeted, “All good things come to an end. ... And I no longer work at VICE. It was a great run. Thanks for reading” (TWITTER.com, 7/21). Vice Media Deputy Dir of Communications Ian Fried said Vice Sports is "not closed." Fried: "It will retain its URL and be home to written editorial and video sports coverage" (THEBIGLEAD.com, 7/21). SI.com's Richard Deitsch wrote the Vice Sports "consistently published quality work." The announcement follows the "current trend of media companies catering to advertisers (and not consumers, per se) with a larger pivot to video" (SI.com, 7/23).