Barstool Sports’ ‘Barstool Van Talk’ Cancelled By ESPN After Just One Episode
The partnership between Barstool Sports and ESPN didn’t last long. As a result of a sexism backlash, ESPN canceled the joint venture in which a show called Barstool Van Talk — a spinoff from Barstool’s popular Pardon My Take podcast — aired on ESPN2.
The irreverent and NSFW Barstool Sports website features quirky videos and images of attractive women in addition to sports coverage and enjoys a staunch following among the male demographic. Given Barstool’s Bro-centric fan loyalty, the ratings-challenged ESPN apparently thought that the new show would give a needed boost to the self-named Worldwide Leader in Sports.
The first and only episode of Barstool Van Talk on ESPN hosted by Barstool’s Dan “Big Cat” Katz and “PFT Commenter” aired last Wednesday at 1 a.m. Eastern.
The handwriting was perhaps on the wall when ESPN NFL Sunday Countdown host Samantha Ponder took to Twitter to post a screenshot of profanity apparently directed at her by Barstool boss David Portnoy, a.k.a. “El Presidente,” in a blog post several years ago.
ESPN President John Skipper issued a statement this afternoon about the end of the collaboration with Barstool Sports.
“Effective immediately, I am cancelling Barstool Van Talk. While we had approval on the content of the show, I erred in assuming we could distance our efforts from the Barstool site and its content. Apart from this decision, we appreciate the efforts of Big Cat and PFT Commenter. They delivered the show they promised.”
Statement from ESPN President John Skipper about Barstool Van Talk: pic.twitter.com/ysgSKDvmjx
— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) October 23, 2017
According to Sports Illustrated, the debut episode of Barstool Van Talk did fairly well in the increasingly fragmented cable universe.
“Barstool Van Talk premiered on Oct. 17 at 1 a.m. ET on ESPN2 and averaged 88,000 viewers. Going inside the numbers: 53,000 of the 88,000 were Men 18-49; 13,000 of the 88,000 were Women 18-49. The lead-in the show drew 61,000 viewers. Lead out was 39,000 viewers. Given the ratings were tweeted out by ESPN senior management and the show was designed to bring in 18-34 demo, you can presume ESPN was initially happy with the numbers.”
SOON @notthefakeSVP #BVT pic.twitter.com/cYDiDjvXjF
— Stool Streams (@StoolStreams) October 16, 2017
In an “emergency” press conference, Portnoy, 40, suggested in the NSFW clip below that internal, anti-Barstool pressure proved too much for ESPN management to overcome. Among other things, he also vowed that Barstool Sports won’t let “PC America” get the best of it, adding the claim that Barstool Sports is the “fastest growing” media outlet in the world and would come out of this stronger than ever. As the Inquisitr readers are aware, ESPN has come under fire in some quarters for moving in a politically correct direction and bringing social justice issues into sports coverage. Portnoy also expressed regret about the expletives he used in the Ponder post.
https://twitter.com/barstoolsports/status/922564997108109313
In January 2016, the Chernin Group, a high-profile media and technology firm, bought 51 percent of the controversial website. David Portnoy and co. subsequently relocated Barstool Sports from its original Boston home to New York City, where it is now headquartered. At the time, Portnoy insisted that he was still 100 percent in charge of Barstool content.
[Featured Image by Bob Child/AP Images]
