It has been eight years since ESPN infamously experimented with Barstool Van Talk, the Big Cat and PFT Commenter-produced sports variety show that lasted just one episode in the Tuesday night 1 a.m. ET time slot on ESPN2. But now, in 2025, the times have changed for traditional television networks like ESPN.
What was once taboo is now the norm, and the Worldwide Leader is leaning into its edgy side after years of protecting its Mickey Mouse family brand. Now, sports fans can tune into two hours of dude-focused, expletive-laden programming every single day at 12 p.m. ET on ESPN if they so desire.
It’s a far cry from the pearl clutching days of Barstool Van Talk, which might as well have aired on the Latvian weather channel given its relegation to the deuce at an ungodly time of night.
But one sports media executive who works alongside Barstool thinks there might be an opening for the Dave Portnoy-lead digital media company to make its triumphant return to linear television if the right situation emerges.
Speaking with John Ourand on The Varsity podcast, United Talent Agency’s co-head of sports media Jerry Silbowitz entertained the idea that Barstool could find its way back onto more traditional platforms under certain circumstances.
“If the partnerships come, and we continue to sit and listen, because even the mindsets of networks and platforms have changed where they are intrigued,” Silbowitz said. “They used to be scared. But Barstool, it’s matured. You know what I mean, everything’s growing. Shows like Pardon My Take have such impact. Dave [Portnoy’s] shows, The Yak, I mean, Spittin’ Chiclets. Some of these shows are some of the bigger shows that are being consumed.
“If something makes sense and there’s a license deal or some strategic something that makes sense, the door is not closed on anything,” Silbowitz continued. “Does Dave clamor to say, ‘I need something?’ He doesn’t need anything. The business is vibrant, Dave is great.”
By the sounds of things, it’s unlikely that Barstool would ever run back an original concept like Van Talk. But a licensing deal similar to what ESPN has struck with The Pat McAfee Show could be an attractive option for a company like Barstool. Those types of deals can be very lucrative and also allow a show to reach an entirely different audience.
They can also make sense for networks and platforms. Instead of producing original content themselves, they can outlay those costs onto a company like Barstool.
Who knows which Barstool shows could be the targets of such a deal, but they make sense on paper, so long as there’s a fit between the show’s content and the network or platform it is licensed to. Soon enough, these deals could become commonplace in the sports media business.
