ESPN announced today that they're closing down Grantland.
The sports and culture website, noted for its long-form articles, was founded by American journalist Bill Simmons, who left the network earlier this year, and recently signed a deal with rivals HBO.
In a statement released earlier this evening, ESPN said: "Effective immediately we are suspending the publication of Grantland. After careful consideration, we have decided to direct our time and energy going forward to projects that we believe will have a broader and more significant impact across our enterprise."
Staff and readers paid tribute to the influential website, while the website's founder said the decision is "simply appalling.
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