Pablo Torre sees a future for ‘Pablo Torre Finds Out’ on TV

Pablo Torre has a vision for the future of Pablo Torre Finds Out. He just doesn’t know what that future looks like.

Speaking on The Varsity with John Ourand, Torre laid out his ambitions for the show that’s already revolutionized sports journalism and recently joined The Athletic via licensing deal.

“I think this should live on whatever television is,” Torre said. “And I say that not knowing what television is anymore. More than a third of our audience, on YouTube, watches it on a physical television. So, on some level, I’m saying that I’m making a television show for all intents and purposes for people who watch digital video on televisions.”

Torre wants his show on a network, streaming service, or “whatever that means” because he believes the quality deserves that platform. The show that brought down NFLPA leadership, broke major stories about Bill Belichick’s relationship with Jordon Hudson, and uncovered Kawhi Leonard’s alleged salary cap circumvention has proven it’s become a digestible form of investigative sports journalism that’s changed how major stories get broken and consumed.

“The degree to which I care and stress and invest in this to make it a quality that can live at the highest levels at whatever medium that I’m invested into, I think it’s worthy of that,” Torre said.

But Torre also acknowledged the reality of his current situation. His staff wants him to stop sending “weird ideas in the middle of the night” so they can sleep and care about their kids. The show, as he admits, “is basically me,” which is both a strength and a potential problem down the road.

Torre’s found a format that works, but is still figuring out how to scale it sustainably. Pablo Torre Finds Out has proven that podcast journalism can break major stories and create real change. Torre’s NFLPA reporting led to resignations at the highest levels of the players’ union. His Belichick coverage became the definitive narrative around that relationship.

The challenge is that Torre’s approach requires massive personal investment. He’s essentially created a one-man investigative unit that operates at television-quality standards but with podcast economics.

“The other lesson I’ve learned in my journeys through media,” Torre said, “has been, I mean, frankly, something will get reorged. There’s going to be a memo. There’s going to be a platform change. Suddenly, we’ve pivoted to the wrong thing. It turns out, I’m five years late, instead of five years early.”

Torre’s resume and time at multiple sports media entities gives him a perspective on industry volatility. He’s worked at Sports Illustrated and ESPN, places where platform changes and corporate reshuffling are constants. His current model attempts to future-proof against that uncertainty.

“Whatever this thing is now is malleable as a matter of concept, such that it can live, whatever this is going to be,” Torre said. “And that’s both a gift and a curse.”

The gift is flexibility. Pablo Torre Finds Out works as a podcast, but Torre films everything like a television show. The format can adapt to whatever platform emerges as dominant. The curse is the constant uncertainty about where the industry is heading.

But that said, PTFO represents something new in sports media; it’s investigative journalism presented with the entertainment value of unboxing videos. He’s created what he calls “the digital evolution of a television news magazine show,” where serious reporting gets presented as mystery boxes that guests open in real time.

The format has worked spectacularly for breaking news. But Torre’s conversation with Puck’s sports media insider suggests he’s thinking about the next phase, moving beyond podcast success to broader television reach.

Whether that means a streaming deal, a cable network partnership, or something else entirely remains unclear. Torre admits he doesn’t know what television means anymore, which puts him in good company with most media executives.

What’s clear is that Torre has created something valuable enough that The Athletic wanted to partner with it. Whether that leads to the television future he envisions depends on whether the industry can figure out how to properly value and support investigative podcast journalism.

For now, Torre will keep doing what’s working while his staff hopes he gets some sleep.