Stephen Brunt announces departure from Sportsnet after 11 years

Stephen Brunt is leaving Sportsnet.

“I’m leaving Sportsnet, this would be my last radio show,” Brunt said on Friday‘s edition of The FAN Drive Time.

Though he said he still thinks of himself primarily as a writer, Brunt has earned a reputation as a jack-of-all-trades in the sports media business, working in the written, radio, and video essay formats for Sportsnet over the last decade and a bit.

Brunt stated he’s working on a multipart interview with Canadian men’s national soccer team head coach John Herdman that will “air between now and the World Cup” on Sportsnet, but he’s just about out the door otherwise.

Brunt originally joined Sportsnet in October 2011 after spending 27 years as a writer with the Globe and Mail.

“[At Sportsnet, I came] into a very, very different environment,” he said. “I came over here and got to work with an extraordinary group of people, really talented people.”

Brunt added that he’s appreciated his opportunity to work in a collaborative environment on many of his projects.

“Nobody works alone in this business,” he added. “There’s always people who are making you look better, and there’s talented people you’re working with, whether it’s producers or guys on the board, or guys with cameras, or editors. Every project is a bunch of people taking their talents, putting them together, and trying to turn out the best work they can do.”

While Brunt didn’t give a reason for his departure, it seemed to be on his own terms.

“I’m not retiring, I expect to be working and doing stuff,” Brunt said. “Sports media, it’s an ever-evolving thing. So I probably will turn up somewhere you know, where you’re watching or reading or viewing or whatever it is.”

Brunt also didn’t rule out a possible return to Sportsnet.

“It’s a small world in Canada, right?” he said. “Sports Media is about this big. And if that happened, I would be just fine with it. Honest to god, I’m very proud to have been part of this, I’m very proud to have worked for Sportsnet, and I have zero complaints about my time here. It has been a slice. I look forward to what’s to come. I’m going to miss a lot of you guys. But I’m guessing we may cross paths. Fingers crossed.”

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