Fox Sports Makes Barstool and Dave Portnoy Deal Official
In a major deal, Fox Sports is linking up with the digital media company Barstool Sports and its founder Dave Portnoy, in what Portnoy calls a “wide-ranging” deal.Portnoy hosted an “emergency press conference” Thursday (he usually hosts them when discussing news about himself or his company), revealing that Barstool would be teaming with Fox on the effort, while pushing his Michigan Wolverines.“This is the 1st time in our illustrious and notorious history that we’ve got a Tv partner we believe in and believes in us,” Portnoy posted. “I can’t wait to see what we create together.”The deal will see Portnoy and other Barstool personalities join Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff college football show, with Barstool also set to create a new two-hour studio show that will air on Fox Sports 1 Monday-Friday, per Fox.In addition, the Barstool College Football Show will stream on Fox Sports digital channels and Tubi ahead of Fox’s own pre-game show, with a college basketball show to follow later this year. The company will also work together to produce digital content featuring Fox and Barstool personalities.“We’re excited to welcome Dave Portnoy and Barstool Sports to the Fox Sports family,” said Eric Shanks, CEO & executive producer for Fox Sports. “Dave has built a one-of-a-kind brand that connects with a new generation of sports fans – authentic, bold, and original. Their unique voice and loyal fanbase makes them a natural fit for our evolving multiplatform content strategy.”“Everybody at Barstool is super excited to partner with the Fox Sports Family,” added Portnoy, Barstool Sports Owner and Founder. “In our two-decade history, we’ve never had the chance to work with so much talent and resources. We can’t wait to collab and bring our voice to Fox Sports’ airwaves. See ya soon in Columbus.”Portnoy, who founded Barstool in 2003, had sold the company to the gambling company Penn Entertainment for more than $550 million. But when Penn inked a deal with ESPN to launch ESPN bet, it sold the company back to Portnoy for $1.Portnoy and Barstool signed with UTA for representation last year.Barstool previously had a show on ESPN, though the program was canceled after one episode back in 2017 after the network received heat from the partnership.
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