Sal Licata gets candid about ‘sad’ SNY exit during layoffs: ‘Sick to my stomach’

SNY mainstay Sal Licata opened up for the first time since being one of the many victims of the network’s mass layoffs on Friday.

Licata, who joined SNY in 2010 and was on “SportsNite” and “Baseball Night in New York” during his time at the network, opened up about his firing on his personal podcast, “The Sal Licata Show,” Friday evening.

During the hour-long stream titled “Sal got Fired, Again” — referencing his 2025 exit from WFAN — Licata said that although he is going to be OK, he is “sick to his stomach” for his now former coworkers.

From left, Darryl Strawberry, Keith Hernandez, and Sal Licata speak onstage during a panel at Fanatics Fest NYC at Jacob Javits Center on July 17, 2026. Getty Images for Fanatics

“The real reason I’m sick to my stomach is because there are a lot of superb people who are great at what they do,” Licata said. “I’ve worked at a lot of places over the years, part time and things like that, and none of them compare to SNY.

“Immediately you could feel a difference.”

He also discussed how appreciative he was of his time at SNY, saying that it was “a place that I absolutely loved.”

“It was the most fun environment you could possibly be in,” Licata said. “It’s not like you walked in and it was this picture-perfect world, but walking into that place was a special environment.”

He also said it was at the network where he learned to become a better broadcaster.

“I would have never left SNY,” he added. “It was not about the money for me … I truly loved doing that show. I would never have left.”


Jon Litner speaks at a podium during the unveiling of the SportsNet New York logo.
Jon Litner speaks at a podium during the unveiling of the SportsNet New York (SNY) logo on Sept. 29, 2005, in New York. Matthew McDermott

Licata did admit, however, that the industry is unforgiving and theorized that the network’s layoffs could have something to do with the MLB’s impending lockout, which could effect the 2027 season.

The Post previously reported that in addition to the two shows being terminated, SNY’s website will be undergoing a major overhaul, focusing more on promotion rather than editorial content.

“As part of our regular review of our business, operations and programming, SNY has decided to cease broadcasting ‘Baseball Night in New York’ and ‘SportsNite,’” a spokesperson for SNY told The Post.

“We are grateful to those team members that helped bring these programs to fans for many years. Ongoing coverage of the Mets and New York sports are at the heart of SNY’s business, and we remain focused on continuing to deliver high-quality content to our passionate fans.”

Toward the end of his stream, Licata brought up how MLB Network’s “Intentional Talk” reversed its initial cancelation following massive backlash, joking that the same could be done for the nixed SNY shows.

“So I guess it’s possible,” Licata laughed.

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