Following a lengthy contract negotiation, Josh Elliott will leave Good Morning America for NBC Sports, ABC News president Ben Sherwood told staff in a memo on Sunday night.
"As many of you know, we have been negotiating with Josh these past several months. In good faith, we worked hard to close a significant gap between our generous offer and his expectations," said Sherwood in the memo. "In the end, Josh felt he deserved a different deal and so he chose a new path."
To replace Elliott on GMA, ABC has promoted Amy Robach to news anchor. Robach had been a correspondent for the show and frequently filled in for Robin Roberts while she was recovering from her bone marrow transplant.
"Amy is a world class anchor and correspondent who is beloved by our morning audience and all who know her," said Sherwood.
Elliott becomes the second member in the past four months to leave the ABC News morning program, following weather anchor Sam Champion's defection to The Weather Channel in December. Last week, ABC signed a new contract with its lifestyle anchor Lara Spencer.
Elliott had been in the Disney family since 2004, joining GMA in 2011 after eight years with ESPN.
(Photo credit: ABC/Heidi Gutman)
