In the months since The New York Post first reported that Bill Simmons’ contract with Spotify was set to expire in early 2025, there hasn’t been much buzz regarding The Ringer founder’s pending free agency.
And as it turns it, the Sports Guy might not be hitting the opening market after all, with Semafor reporting that Simmons “very likely intends to stay at the streaming giant” when his current contract expires next month.
“According to two people familiar with the situation, Simmons is poised to renew his current deal, which is up in February, and very likely intends to stay at the streaming giant,” the media newsletter revealed in its Monday edition. “One person familiar with Simmons’ plans told Semafor that he has recently been engaged in long-term projects that take him beyond his current deal.”
Semafor noted that neither Simmons, his spokesperson nor Spotify returned multiple requests for comment.
News of Simmons likely staying with Spotify comes more than five months after The New York Post‘s Ryan Glasspiegel (now with Front Office Sports) first reported that the former ESPN columnist’s five-year contract with the Sweden-based audio company was set to expire in early 2025. Simmons, who sold The Ringer to Spotify for a reported $250 million price tag in 2020, holds the title of “Head of Podcast Innovation and Monetization” at the audio giant, in addition to hosting a variety of podcasts under The Ringer banner, including The Bill Simmons Podcast.
According to the original report from the Post, Simmons had already held “exploratory” discussions with other companies regarding the possibility of starting a new platform. Per Glasspiegel, Simmons had also “privately expressed frustration with confidants about Spotify’s corporate structure in which he has not had full personnel autonomy to bring all of the talents or shows that he wanted to add to the fold.”
A Simmons spokesperson dismissed the report as “incorrect and idle speculation” at the time.
Despite the former NBA Countdown co-host’s status as one of the biggest names in sports media, the idea of him leaving Spotify for another platform never gained much traction, even with NBC and Amazon set to become NBA media rights partners in the months ahead. Ultimately, it appears it never will, with Simmons reportedly not only expected to re-up with Spotify, but already working on projects beyond the timeframe of his current deal.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.