The Ringer founder Bill Simmons upset some of his fans by adding ChatGPT as the “AI sponsor” of The Bill Simmons Podcast and other productions from the company.
Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins, co-hosts of The Ringer’s The Big Picture, aren’t exactly thrilled about it, either.
Dobbins and Fennessey appeared on the latest episode of Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso on Sunday. Toward the end of their nearly two-hour conversation, Fragoso brought up Simmons’ bit of using ChatGPT to generate the late Roger Ebert’s review of movies on The Rewatchables.
“Now those episodes are now sponsored by ChatGPT,” Fragoso said.
Dobbins’ eyes widened and looked toward Fennessey before she asked, “Are they?”
“You just looked at me in shock,” Fennessey said. “Yeah, they are.”
“What?! Oh, brother,” Dobbins said. “OK, well, I didn’t know that. That’s not my decision level, so, OK!”
Fragoso specifically asked Fennessey whether he has a “moral objection to Roger being brought back to life,” and Fennessey distanced himself from Simmons’ ChatGPT usage.
“I don’t like it,” Fennessey said. “I’ve told Bill I don’t like it. It’s not my decision. It’s something that he’s done. I think [The Rewatchables co-host] Chris [Ryan] and I have both, when presented with ChatGPT Ebert, we’ve said ‘Eh, that’s not cool.'”
Sean Fennessey explained that he “wouldn’t want that done for me after I died” before offering broader commentary on artificial intelligence.
“I’m thinking very critically about AI and trying to not be an alarmist and trying to be thoughtful about what’s coming, while also having a clearer moral view of what it means and how it’s going to impact us,” Fennessey said.
Dobbins chimed in to say she finds AI and everything AI-adjacent “boring,” adding, “I’ve never used it because what am I using it for? I prefer human beings.”
@marxtakes Ruh roh #fyp #viral #capcut #sports #movies ♬ son original – 𝐄’🫧
Fragoso pivoted to The Ringer’s relatively new licensing deal with Netflix, from which Dobbins and Fennessey also distanced themselves. Fragoso astutely pointed out Fennessey’s Letterboxd update upon the deal’s announcement: Wh*re, Capital, Dollars, and Salesman.
Starting in early 2026, a curated selection of Spotify’s top video podcasts — including shows from Spotify Studios and The Ringer Network — are coming to Netflix!
The Bill Simmons Podcast, The Zach Lowe Show, The McShay Show, The Rewatchables, Serial Killers, and The Dave Chang… pic.twitter.com/oHWYwuXHt2
— Netflix (@netflix) October 14, 2025
“Those are four really interesting films that I thought were worth checking out,” Fennessey said coyly.
“The Ringer made a decision to license their shows not exclusively to Netflix,” Fennessey continued. “I think there’s an inherent conflict with the work that we’re doing, which is why I shared that disclaimer. […] I don’t think it totally makes sense for a show that’s covering films released by Netflix to be licensed non exclusively to Netflix, but it wasn’t my decision, so we’re working within that reality.”
When asked to weigh in, Dobbins said she has “some notes,” but ultimately, “I feel lucky to have a job in this industry, and we have incredible jobs.”
Sean Fennessey has been working with Bill Simmons since 2012 when both were at ESPN under the Grantland banner. He was one of the four individuals Simmons brought with him from Grantland to start The Ringer in 2015, serving initially as Editor-in-Chief and moving to his current role as Director of Content in 2019.
Seeing this kind of public resistance is rare within the Bill Simmons universe. While it doesn’t necessarily mean there is trouble behind the scenes at The Ringer, it might be worth watching in the future if the company’s AI and streaming pushes continue.
About Megan Armstrong
Since first getting published as a student by the Kansas City Star in 2013, Megan Armstrong has gone wherever curiosity and stories have taken her, specializing in sports, media, music, and culture coverage. She also has an extensive background in interviewing and profiling public figures. Her work has appeared in Billboard, Boardroom, Bleacher Report, Esquire, GQ, GRAMMY.com, NYLON, Newsweek, Teen Vogue, The Hollywood Reporter, UPROXX, and elsewhere.