NBC Sports Chicago releases Laurence Holmes, Leila Rahimi among staff cuts

NBC Sports Chicago fell victim to cuts brought on by downsizing from parent NBC Universal. Sources confirmed that the network let go of hosts Laurence Holmes and Leila Rahimi and discontinued “Sports Talk Live.” Other behind-the-scenes staff also were let go.

“Due to the ongoing economic challenges caused by the pandemic and with the need to better position NBCUniversal for the future, we have made a number of difficult decisions to achieve cost savings, including eliminating some roles across the portfolio,” an NBCUniversal spokesperson said.

Rahimi hosted “Baseball Night in Chicago” and White Sox pre- and postgame shows. Holmes, who was part-time at the network, hosted the “Football Aftershow” that followed Bears games, among other programming. He’ll continue his full-time job at The Score, where he hosts weekdays from noon to 2 p.m.