Ringer founder Bill Simmons a looming free agent with Spotify deal coming up
One of the pillars of sports podcasting could be about to hit the market.
Bill Simmons’ contract with Spotify is up in early 2025 after the Swedish audio giant signed him to a five-year deal when it acquired The Ringer for $250 million in 2020.
He was ultimately named Head of Podcast Innovation and Monetization at the parent company.
Simmons has had exploratory conversations with other companies about the possibility of launching a new platform, The Post has learned.
Sources said that Simmons has 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.
Nonetheless, Simmons and Spotify have had an ongoing dialogue about the possibility of a new deal.
A spokesperson for Simmons dismissed this story as “incorrect and idle speculation”.
“As part of Spotify, The Ringer has enjoyed years of audience growth, format expansion, and increased roles for The Ringer team within Spotify,” a Spotify spokesperson told The Post in a statement.
“Spotify looks forward to the continuation of this partnership and has no plans to sell The Ringer.”
Simmons came to prominence as a writer on ESPN’s “Page 2” vertical, and became the most popular sportswriter in the country as he wrote from a fan’s perspective in a format that predated blogging.
He was also an early adopter of the podcast format, and was a driving force behind the “30 for 30” documentary series for the network.
Before his fractious exit from ESPN in 2015 over comments he made about NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, he had spearheaded ESPN’s Grantland website, which blended sports and pop culture and grew to dozens of staffers, many of whom developed influential platforms at The Ringer and across the internet.
Spotify acquired the Ringer amid a spending spree on original podcast content, which included big deals with Barack and Michelle Obama, Joe Rogan, “Call Her Daddy” host Alex Cooper and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
