Fox Sports is joining forces with Barstool Sports.
Barstool Sports’ programming will appear on Fox Sports 1 while founder Dave Portnoy will appear on Fox Sports “Big Noon Kickoff” college football show. The partnership was announced Thursday afternoon.
“(Barstool owner and founder) Dave (Portnoy) 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,” Fox Sports CEO and executive producer Eric Shanks said in a statement.
Portnoy graduated from Michigan, which could lead to some interesting interactions with former Ohio State coach Urban Meyer.
“Nobody has been there to defend the Kings of the Conference. That ends today,” Portnoy said in a video posted to Twitter/X.
“Big Noon Kickoff” will begin the season in Columbus, Ohio, on Aug. 29 when defending national champion Ohio State hosts Texas. The show also features host Rob Stone and analysts Brady Quinn, Matt Leinart, Mark Ingram and Chris “The Bear” Fallica.
The “Barstool College Football Show” — which will air on Saturday’s from 9-9:45 a.m. — will also be streamed across Fox’s digital platforms, including Tubi.
Other Barstool personalities will also make appearances on “Big Noon Kickoff,” including Dan “Big Cat” Katz. Barstool will also contribute to Fox’s college basketball coverage and possibly horse racing.
Barstool will have a live two-hour weekday morning show on FS1 with the launch date to be announced later.
FS1 has a need for studio programming after cancelling three shows earlier this week.
“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,” Portnoy said in a statement.
Barstool’s addition gives Fox Sports what it hopes will be its answer to Pat McAfee as well as possible inroads with the age 18-34 demographic.
Barstool previously had a relationship with ESPN, but its program was canceled after one episode in 2017 after the network received criticism both inside and outside the company.
Portnoy founded Barstool in 2004 but Penn Gaming acquired majority stake in 2023 after being an investor since 2020. Portnoy bought Barstool back later that year for $1 after Penn Gaming rebranded Barstool Sportsbook as ESPN Bet.
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