Keith Olbermann, who returned to ESPN two years ago to host a late-night show on ESPN2 that was eventually shifted to the afternoon, will leave the network this month.
The news was first reported on Twitter by James Andrew Miller, the author of an oral history of ESPN, “Those Guys Have All the Fun.” He had previously reported that ESPN had sought the end of commentaries by Olbermann, a trademark element of the program.
In a statement, ESPN characterized the parting as a business decision.
This year, ESPN chose not to renew the contract of another high-profile personality, Bill Simmons, who was the editor in chief of the website Grantland and a founder and executive producer of the “30 for 30” documentary series.