Claim OwnershipThe r/BillSimmons Podcast
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© The r/BillSimmons Podcast
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A podcast discussing Bill Simmons, the BS Pod, Russillo, The Ringer, Grantland, Page 2, sports media, podcasts and more. Not affiliated with Bill Simmons or The Ringer
133 Episodes
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Welcome to Episode 71! We bring on JF, who reached out to me on the Bill Simmons subreddit wanting to talk Simmons, The Ringer and more.
We first hit on Bill Simmons current events - it's laughable how much Bill praises and makes excuses for KD but hates on LeBron. What's the reason for this? We think it's obvious.
Next we discuss why Mark Titus and others have left The Ringer - is Bill not paying people enough and not giving them creative freedom? That appears to be the case. And why is Barstool of all places better at developing talent than The Ringer?
After we do a check-in on r/BillSimmons, of which JF has been a fan of for years, we finish with an in-depth discussion of the new NBA deal. Is NBC overpaying? Is Warner Bros. screwed without it? Do the economics work for Amazon? We get into all that and more.
Hope you enjoy the episode! And thank you to Wiser Times for the intro music and Zach Blatter for the cover art.
Welcome to Episode 63! We had massive news last week with Joe Rogan re-upping his Spotify deal, but with major changes to his initial contract. We bring back Neil from Episode 62 to break it all down.
First, this deal is much different than Joe's previous deal, as he's going non-exclusive and Spotify will help with ads and distribution, including on YouTube. The contract is also structured as a lower guaranteed payout with revenue sharing, and Spotify aims to do this with all their top podcast deals.
Thus, what does this mean for Bill Simmons' future? We speculate, including our thoughts that this deal actually means Bill will *not* re-up at Spotify - unless he truly is in Keep Cashin' Dem Checks Mode for good.
We also talk podcasting and audio in general and assess the future of the medium, including lessons learned from Pardon My Take, Call Her Daddy and Rogan's pod - when and why did Bill lose the #1 sports podcast to PMT?
We finish up with a recap of the Larry David BS Pod. Enjoy!
Welcome to Episode #133! We bring on Benjamin and first react to Max Kellerman's appearance on the BS Pod - what made Max so good, and more broadly, what makes for a great BS Pod guest? We then talk about Bill's improved content since Russillo left - did he hook himself up to the Rejuvenation Machine? After chatting some Russillo, Benjamin gives his take on the missing element of Ringer NBA pods. We finish up talking The Ringer's changing place in the sports and pop culture landscape.Check out Benjamin's site at section220.com
Welcome to the latest episode! Netflix has agreed to buy Warner Bros. - we break it all down! Enjoy
Welcome to Episode #131! In today's pod I break down the state of play of the Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) sale process. Why are they looking to be sold, which company that submitted bids (Paramount, Netflix, NBC) has the best chance of winning, why is each company interested in buying WBD, and will WBD even sell itself or proceed with their planned split of the Cable TV and Streaming & Studio businesses? Enjoy!
Welcome to Episode #130! We bring on recurring guest Chris (#93, #95, #100) to cover all the angles of Ryen Russillo leaving Bill Simmons & The Ringer.We first hit on what we think Russillo should do at Barstool, including utilizing the talent there and adding some variety into his show; so far we're modestly disappointed he seems to be doing the exact same podcast. What will his new company look like - will he hire people and develop more talent?We next get into which side needed eachother more and which side has more to prove. Can Russillo truly be a #1 guy? How much was his weekly Bill podcast contributing to his popularity? How does Bill replace Russillo, especially on Sunday nights? Can Bill use Russillo's cap space to better fill out The Ringer's depth?We next give our theories on why Russillo left: was it money, IP, Zach Lowe, or Ryen getting tired of Bill? And was the split acrimonious? Why haven’t either of them mentioned it yet; when's the next time (if ever) they'll pod together? Was Ryen leaving more of a Bill or Spotify decision?We finish up assessing how, in the future, we'll judge which side truly won the break-up. Enjoy!
Welcome to Episode #129! We bring back Gracie (#121) to discuss an entertaining variety of r/BS Pod topics. First, we assess how NBC & Amazon are doing so far covering the NBA. We break down their studio shows, presentation and announcers, and contrast it with ESPN, who has been putting out a terrible NBA product for decades now. Plus, how is Inside the NBA doing on ESPN, and are they finally improving their own NBA coverage? (0:00-40:45)Next, we hit on the latest in Russillo world. What do we make of Russillo potentially pairing up with SVP for the 5pm Around the Horn slot - did he make the right call going to Barstool? We also break down his first podcast episode; can we expect more funny shots at Bill like his 2026 NBA Re-Draft comment? Plus, is the Rich Paul & Max Kellerman pod really the replacement for Ryen. We aren't enthused. (40:45-57:45)We then hit on Bill's weak reaction to the NBA Gambling Scandal - while we're not asking for a return to fiery mid-2000s Bill railing against the establishment, he certainly could've done more than essentially brushing it off as nothing. (57:45-1:03:00)We finish up with Gracie telling us about her experience attending the recent Big Picture live show, before getting into Bill's One Battle After Another takes and The Big Picture's coverage of the movie, including their episode with Van. (1:03:00-end) Enjoy!
Welcome to Episode 128! We bring on Evan to discuss a wide variety of Bill Simmons topics, starting with the shocking news of the day - Sir Rudy & Nephew Kyle are joining Russillo's new venture. We then hit on why we think Bill's pod has declined significantly, including the guest list, Guess the Lines issues and too much gambling talk. We next compare and contrast Bill's career with Russillo's and Cowherd's, and preview how Russillo will do at Barstool. We then hit on the bizarre and sad decline of ESPN, before highlighting The Ringer's hits and misses. Enjoy!
Welcome to Episode #127! We bring back recurring guest Imperial Twilight (#115 & #117) for a deep analysis into The Rewatchables podcast. Imperial's been on a Rewatchables kick over the last few months and shares his thoughts on a variety of topics, including:How Rewatchables Bill is the old, Page 2-esque Bill we all lovedThe negatives of 2025 Bill on sports don't show up on RewatchablesAssessing what CR & Sean, Mallory, and Van & Wes bring to the showThe comedy of how Bill acts/talks differently when he has on non-CR & Sean guestsWhat movies they should do, and why Bill hasn't done them yetLaughing at an outrageous mid-2000s Heat take by Bill Then, at 1:10:25 we unveil a Ryen Russillo Fake Movie Pitch that should go down as a Top 7 Top 3, Pantheon-level r/BS Pod moment. Enjoy!
Welcome to Episode 126! We bring on Andy (@adplacksports) for a classic r/BS Pod show. We start off talking Guess the Lines - why has it dropped off so much, and is it redeemable? We assess what made the show great and how it lost its luster.We then hit on Bill as Ringer GM and discuss the current Ringer roster including strengths and weaknesses. We finish up the show predicting what Bill will (or won't!) say about the recent Jimmy Kimmel news. Enjoy!
Ryen Russillo is leaving The Ringer to form an independent digital media company which will sign a multi-year partnership with Barstool and receive investments from Barstool and Dave Portnoy. We break down this sports media news of the century - enjoy!
1Welcome to Episode #124! We bring on recurring guest and sports media specialist JF for a highly informative show on the r/BS Pod topic of the day (Russillo's free agency) and the hottest non-Russillo sports media story (ESPN's Direct to Consumer app launching).To start off the pod, JF makes the case that Barstool should be even odds with The Ringer to nab Russillo, a contrast to some of our recent r/BS Pod discussions. JF argues that Russillo is both a better cultural and financial fit at Barstool. We explore some content Russillo could generate at Barstool while also discussing why Barstool's financial model and less stringent IP demands could be of interest to Ryen. We also hit on why The Volume, and their ability to offer Russillo equity, may be more in play than some are thinking. Plus, we get into podcasteconomics, contrasting The Ringer vs. Barstool, and JF questions a few moves Bill is making with some Ringer shows.After we finish up with Russillo, we talk ESPN's new streaming app. For $30, you can now buy all of ESPN standalone, instead of only being able to access the network via a cable TV bundle like YouTube TV. Will this be a success? We don't think so. And, we admonish ESPN for squandering a decade where they've developed no talent and continued putting together weak studio shows - there's no creative vision at the network. We finish up the pod going more in-depth on cable TV andESPN economics, and why the network developed such hubris while diminishing their brand.
We bring on Russillo expert Mason for a highly detailed look at everything Ryen Russillo: his time at ESPN, the art of a Russillo take, the beauty of Life Advice, whether his contract being up is causing tension with Bill, and, of course, where he'll land next. We finish up talking future of sports media. Enjoy!
Welcome to the latest r/BS Pod! We bring on two returning guests for a 3-man weave covering every angle of Ryen Russillo's looming free agency. Enjoy!
Welcome to Episode #121! We bring on Gracie from Twitter for a classic r/BS Pod ep, starting off with the Perk-Simmons beef. Bill launched some aggressive takes against Big Perk, who came firing back with a long monologue of his own including going into Bill's WNBA archives - we assess who won the feud.Next we hit on ESPN's horrific NBA coverage - Perk included - and wonder why they've struggled so much to create a good NBA product. We discuss why the RJ/Doris/Breen booth isn't working and predict that the Amazon and NBA broadcasts will easily surpass ESPN's. Plus, will ESPN ruin Inside the NBA?We celebrate Zach Lowe's return to podcasting, and discuss which we prefer between Lowe and Russillo. With Russillo's contract up soon, we break down where he might go - and if he stays with The Ringer, is there anything he could be doing differently to improve his content? We also agree Rob Mahoney has been stepping up lately.We then hit on some Ringer pop culture pods including The Big Picture, which is a favorite of Gracie's. We compare that pod to The Rewatchables; each have their own strengths. And we again contemplate why they don't release the Rewatchables movie ahead of time. We also give some love to The Town and Belloni's appearances on Bill's pod.We finish up talking Gracie's evolution from being a major Barstool listener to now consuming much more Ringer content, and also discuss how she got blocked by Buster Olney.If you liked the episode leave a 5-star review on Apple Pods and we'll read it next show!
Welcome to episode #120! We bring back the Chanch brothers from Episode #98 for another 3-man weave breaking down the recent Big 3 Simmons/Russillo/Lowe pod. Then we dive into Chuck Klosterman's latest appearance on the BS Pod and discus his wonky AI takes. Enjoy!Check out Kyle's fantasy league idea here: https://clubhousefantasysports.io
Welcome to Episode #119! We bring on returning guests Roman, Chris and Chenny for a rare 4-man panel to cover every angle of the Bill Simmons-Pablo Torre story. We discuss the origin of the feud, what we liked about Pablo calling out Bill several times, why we think Bill did the pod given he clearly hadn’t listened to Pablo’s shows, Bill’s hypocrisy on Pablo making this a story when Bill makes anything a story, whether Bill considers the pod a success, and we wonder if Bill will do more "sports media beef" content like this (Nick Wright?) after seeing such a strong listener reaction to the pod.Plus, we discuss this show's, and Awful Announcing’s, role in the feud and comment on the evolving ecosystem of podcast aggregation and whether this, along with Bill Simmons Twitter and r/BillSimmons becoming more popular lately, is changing Bill’s mindset so he has more fun online at his expense in order to further grow his pod, especially with a younger audience.For anyone who’s followed this story over the past week and listened to their pod, this is must-listen. Enjoy!
Welcome to Episode #118! We bring on Roman from TikTok for an absolutely classic r/BS Pod. We start off with Roman’s successful tales of bringing Bill Simmons lingo to non-Bill listeners. We then discuss The Rewatchables and the hilarity of film buffs having to put up with Bill Simmons’ takes, and find new ground with the answer to the age old question of why Bill doesn’t reveal the movie until after the episode drops.We next celebrate how great Russillo is at being acontributor to The Ringer and discuss why he should stay there when his contract is up.We then hit on how much we’re loving Zach Lowe at TheRinger, but wonder why he’s not bringing on better guests, while praising the excellent and growing Lowe-Mahoney partnership.We then get meta and talk r/BillSimmons, and how beautifuland hilarious and wonky it is to share in an inside joke with thousands of other people online. Also, how much is this podcast/account, Bill Simmons Twitter andr/BillSimmons affecting Bill and Ringer content? Who of the staff is most aware and do they use it for feedback?We turn back into some deep Russillo analysis before Roman gives us a scouting report and breakdown on a CR vs. Van 7 game series, before finishing up touching on underrated Ringer 3-man weaves.Leave a 5-star review for the podcast on Apple Pods and we'll read it on the next episode, and follow Roman on TikTok @romankingbarbershop
Welcome to Part 2 with Imperial Twilight! We start talking Bill's next career steps - IP says Bill should livestream games similar to the ManningCast - an OG idea by Simmons himself. He could also do a tour of all 30 NBA arenas with a documentary crew following him. Ultimately Simmons needs to get the video-first Gen Z generation as fans; we’d love seeing him watch an NFL game with Cousin Sal.Next we discuss Bill’s obsession with making it in Hollywood - and IP argues that it’s not too late for Bill. His idea? Bill writes another book, launches a book publishing company with it, uses The Ringer to market books by their podcasters, and then options them to films. When Bill does this to add even further to his legacy by 2032, we’ll know the original idea came from this pod. We touch a little on Parent Corner before IP argues that Bill needs to aggressively expand The Ringer into college basketball to be the true sports media home for basketball, especially because he’s completely abandoned baseball and has invested few reosurces in football coverage.We next hit on the new NBA media deal and the future of sports rights deals - will the NBA deal age well or not? We finish up talking Bill’s Apex Mountain - when he had the most juice - before reminiscing about Grantland and talking about an interaction with a famous Grantlander.Check out Part 1 with IP here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-r-billsimmons-podcast/id1698894319?i=1000705334569Check out IP's podcast here: https://imperialtwilight.substack.com/
We have a sports media feud! We break down it all down on the show and assess who is right about NBA ratings. Enjoy!
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