ESPN yesterday cancelled "Barstool Van Talk" after President John Skipper "became more aware of the historical content of Barstool Sports away from the popular 'Pardon My Take' podcast, and specifically, the ugly comments made" by Barstool Founder & President Dave Portnoy in '14 about ESPN's Sam Ponder, according to Deitsch & Chavez of SI.com. Skipper also "received a number of emails last week ... from employees who were upset at the partnership." Sources said that it had a "heavy impact on him," as did employees who "expressed the same sentiment publicly -- led by Ponder -- how much they did not like the partnership between the two entities." ESPN had been "trying to thread the line that they were in business with the talent from the popular 'PMT' podcast" while Barstool was its "own separate ecosystem." A source said that "a lot of internal opposition to the Barstool partnership was directed specifically" at Skipper. The source said, "There is quiet satisfaction that there are some values that transcend business operations." Barstool CEO Erika Nardini yesterday said that there was a "clear and growing sense coming from inside ESPN during the week that the partnership could be ending." Nardini said a "small but significant portion of ESPN’s talent base was uncomfortable with Barstool" and there were "specific ESPN employees who had personal issues with Barstool." She added, "ESPN was doing something that was fairly uncharacteristic of ESPN which is to work with a third party brand to greenlight a show that wasn’t originated from within the network. There were obstacles to be expected in that process. But the blowback and frankly the events of last week exacerbated what was a unique situation." Nardini also said that she "could not be 100 percent sure that Skipper made the final decision" (SI.com, 10/23). In N.Y., Kevin Draper notes Nardini was brought on to "make the company more professional and strike big deals, like the one with ESPN." But as ESPN’s cancellation "demonstrates, that will be a difficult process" (N.Y. TIMES, 10/24).
PORTNOY FIRES BACK: USA TODAY's Andrew Joseph noted yesterday in a "mock Facebook Live press conference," Portnoy "questioned Skipper’s reasoning behind the cancellation." Portnoy said, "John Skipper’s saying he thought he could distance himself from Barstool. I don’t know what that means. You hired Barstool. The deal was with Barstool. The reason you needed us was because we’re Barstool" (USATODAY.com, 10/23). In N.Y., Hannah Withiam notes Portnoy "argued ESPN’s change of heart served as an example of the sports companies' distinct trajectories: an unstable ESPN appears to be floundering, while a consistently offending Barstool is thriving." Portnoy: "ESPN needed us more than we need them." He also "blamed the cancellation on ESPN’s need to cater" to Disney. Portnoy said 95% of ESPN employees "actually like Barstool" and ESPN knew "who they were getting in business with" (N.Y. POST, 10/24).
TAKING ON SKIPPER: Portnoy this morning said of the cancellation, “There are whispers of that maybe the Sam Ponders and Sarah Spains of the world were threatening to maybe walk out, but there’s nothing that happened on Barstool’s end. (ESPN) almost pulled the show the first time, like an hour before it aired, it was off. They were going to cancel it and then they put it back on. I was surprised when I heard it was cancelled yesterday, but not really, because you know they’ve got all sorts of issues going on over there, so who knows. It didn’t shock me.” Portnoy added of Skipper, "He made the decision that the show was more important than a couple of nobodies at ESPN who are complaining. ... What he didn’t anticipate was that Ponder was going to go public with it and then she, in many respects, kind of put him over her knee and spanked him." Portnoy also noted ESPN told the "Barstool Van Talk" hosts that they "couldn’t respond" to Ponder on the first show. Portnoy: "They said, "We’re going to pull the show if you respond.’ We were like, ‘You’ve got to get your own employees to stop attacking us then,’ because if you’re going to come at us, we have the right to respond. We had a couple of tweets and we just kind of ended it. ... This is more John Skipper. ... It made ESPN look silly." He said of any future tie-ups with ESPN, "If the check was big enough and the right assurances were made, I wouldn’t write them off. ... They wanted the show. I’m sure Barstool was never ESPN’s first choice to go into bed with, but they need our show and need our demo. If it was up to (Skipper), I’m sure they would’ve kept it without Sam Ponder creating an internal rebellion. Let’s say Sam Ponder is not there in two years and the people who don’t like us, the situation could change" ("Kirk & Callahan," WEEI, 10/24).
MIXED FEELINGS: In Boston, Chad Finn notes some ESPN personalities have a "friendly relationship with Barstool, among them Scott Van Pelt and Rachel Nichols." But sources said that Ponder was "not alone among ESPN talent in expressing extreme disappointment in the arrangement to management" (BOSTON GLOBE, 10/24). SI.com's Chris Chavez noted ESPN2's debut episode of "Barstool Van Talk," which averaged 88,000 viewers, included an interview with Van Pelt, who is a "recurring guest on 'PMT.'" Other ESPN employees like Nichols and Ryen Russillo also "make recurring appearances on the podcast." Dan Patrick was "slated to be the guest on the second episode of the show" on ESPN2 (SI.com, 10/23).
DIDN'T THINK THIS THROUGH? In Minneapolis, Michael Rand writes it is "probably hard to distance yourself from the Barstool brand when the show has Barstool in the title." The best guess is ESPN "underestimated the backlash and that Ponder’s complaint was taken seriously -- and that she wasn’t the only one at ESPN to voice her concern even if she was the most public and vocal" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 10/24). VARIETY's Brian Steinberg wrote the show "always seemed a strange fit for ESPN" (VARIETY.com, 10/23). Boston-based WEEI's Kirk Minihane tweeted ESPN is "lost. They bring in Barstool and expect no controversy? How stupid are these people?" Pro Football Talk's Michael David Smith: "It was dumb of ESPN to think it could attract people who like Barstool but not alienate people who dislike Barstool." USA Today's Dan Wolken: "By cancelling it they validate their critics who think ESPN is too PC. Just a debacle all the way around." USA Today's Lindsay Jones: "It’s a colossal failure that ESPN thought it could partner with Barstool. Glad they bailed quickly, but it never should have happened."
POSITIVE REAX: Some Twitter commenters praised ESPN's move to part ways with Barstool and its handling of the situation. Campus Insiders' Bonnie Bernstein: "Glad ESPN/Barstool r splitsville. Just bc latter built massive audience w edgy content doesn't mean it's panacea for what ails the former." Author James Andrew Miller: "Look at Skipper's comments: 'I am cancelling.' 'I erred.' Some in charge throw others under the bus; others stand there and insist on taking the hit themselves. Rare."
