Fox Sports is wasting no time reshaping its lineup after pulling the plug on Breakfast Ball, Speak, and The Facility.
Days after Funhouse (BackAftaThis on X) teased that FS1 execs were eyeing Barstool Sports talent to fill the void, Front Office Sports’ Ryan Glasspiegel reports that Fox is targeting none other than Dave Portnoy for a prominent, multi-pronged role.
The deal, according to Glasspiegel, would bring the Barstool founder to Big Noon Kickoff alongside Urban Meyer, Brady Quinn, Matt Leinart, Mark Ingram, Chris “The Bear” Fallica, and host Rob Stone. Charles Woodson also contributes to the show on a part-time basis.
But this goes beyond just putting Portnoy on a desk. According to FOS, the agreement would also include licensing Barstool Sports content for FS1 programming. It’s not yet clear whether that means repackaging existing shows like Pardon My Take or building something new around Barstool personalities, but with blocks of airtime to fill and a brand identity still in flux, Fox appears open to both options.
It’s a bold move with a familiar echo. Back in 2017, ESPN greenlit Barstool Van Talk before yanking it after just one episode, a decision sparked by internal backlash and a culture clash that still lingers over Bristol. But, nearly a decade later, the media landscape has undergone significant changes. And as Awful Announcing recently wrote, Barstool executives haven’t ruled out a full-fledged return to linear television.
Fox may be ready to give them that second shot.
About Sam Neumann
Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.