Layoffs hit NFL Films

Reverberations from HBO's cancellation of "Inside the NFL" are being felt at NFL Films, the league-owned production facility and producer of the long-running weekly highlights show.

Twenty-one of the 283 employees at the Mt. Laurel, N.J.-based company were let go last week, including some who had been with NFL Films for decades, the Philadelphia Daily News reported.

According to the newspaper, the NFL itself gave the directive for the layoffs. Company president Steve Sabol, who founded NFL Films with his father Ed in 1964, delivered the news to the 21 employees.

"It was very difficult," Sabol said. "One of the most difficult things I've ever had to do. These people were like family."

HBO canceled "Inside the NFL" last month after 31 years on the air, and Sabol acknowledged the network's decision was a big reason for the layoffs. The show generated about $5 million in revenue for the league.