Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy has broken his silence over the recent rumors that his company is nearing a major deal with Fox Sports.
According to Ryan Glasspiegel of Front Office Sports, the two companies are allegedly finalizing a partnership deal that would feature a plethora of Barstool content on FS1 programming.
Portnoy himself is also allegedly set to feature, joining FS1’s ‘Big Noon Kickoff’, a pregame show for college football.
However, the ‘Stool Presidente’ has quickly addressed these rumors, taking to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to do so.
The University of Michigan alumnus also took a jab at rival Ohio State fans in the process.
“These are nothing more than rumors at this point,” Portnoy wrote.
“But all the crying from Columbus is making me feel like it’s Thanksgiving Day weekend again and Michigan is pounding a hapless Buckeye team into the mud for the billionth straight year.”
News of the potential deal comes amid a major shakeup at the network.
Earlier this week, Fox announced that they had axed several shows, including ‘Breakfast Ball’, ‘The Facility’ – co-hosted by Emmanuel Acho, LeSean McCoy, James Jones and Chase Daniel – and ‘Speak’.
The cancellation of ‘Speak’, co-hosted by Joy Taylor, Keyshawn Johnson and Paul Pierce was significant, as Taylor – who recently added some more fuel into the fiery rivalry between WNBA stars Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese – was axed from the network entirely.
This news came just months after she went viral for unleashing a bizarre rant on four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers and questioning his absence at the Pittsburgh Steelers’ OTAs.
But Rodgers was still a free agent then, and hadn’t yet put pen to paper with any franchise, including the Black and Gold.
Now there is ample free space in the programming schedule of FS1, which Fox are hoping to fill up with Barstool content.
Two Fox employees who know their jobs are secure, though, are NFL reporters Erin Andrews and Charissa Thompson.
Although the duo, who co-host a podcast titled ‘The Calm Down with Erin and Charissa’, each saw their contracts with the network expire following the conclusion of Super Bowl LIX, the pair have both recently signed lucrative contract extensions to remain at Fox.
Long-time NFL on Fox broadcaster Terry Bradshaw has also admitted that he will see out the remaining two years of his contract, with the 76-year-old subtly hinting at retirement following its expiration.
His former co-host Jimmy Johnson, 81, has now officially retired from the network, and ridden off into the sunset after a stellar 31-year broadcasting career at Fox.
Though the rumors of a deal between Fox and Barstool have, for now, been hushed publicly by Portnoy, the announcement of the alleged partnership coming during Fox’s current restructure firmly suggests that the network is undergoing a significant strategic shift and is aiming in the direction of content creation.