Barstool President Dave Portnoy Responds to ‘Call Her Daddy’ Drama
The CEO of Barstool Sports, Dave Portnoy, took over the Call Her Daddy Podcast on Sunday to spill his side of the story in the ever-evolving drama with hosts Alexandra Cooper and Sofia Franklyn.
Portnoy discussed where contract negotiations with the duo stand now, his take on where the problems stem from, and whether or not the hosts will be back to work anytime soon.
Cooper and Franklyn stopped recording Call Her Daddy in early April as contract negotiations wore on, the New York Post reported. The successful podcast hosts wanted an increase in salary based on the show’s increasing success. Portnoy said on the podcast takeover that he believes that Franklyn’s boyfriend, HBO Sports executive vice president Peter Nelson, was behind the negotiations. Portnoy went on to state that he believes that the HBO executive had gotten the ladies a deal at a rival network, Wondery, a claim the New York Post repeated.
Barstool Sports was willing to pay the pair over a half a million dollars per year plus royalties from the brand’s merchandise, but Franklyn and Cooper declined. The sticking point was over who would own the Call Her Daddy brand. Portnoy was shocked at the pair’s refusal and described a text he sent to Cooper after the meeting, where he used the words “unprofessional,” “disloyal,” and “greedy.”
Three weeks ago, Cooper and Franklyn met with Portnoy without lawyers. At that meeting, he relented and offered the duo full control of the brand, a $500,000 guaranteed salary for each host, an increase in merchandise profits, bonuses, a shortened contract, and the full rights to Call Her Daddy. This salary is a massive increase in their initial salary of $75,000. The duo “went dark,” according to Portnoy.
As the controversy continued, Franklyn and Cooper, once best friends and roommates, were no longer speaking. Portnoy addressed this claim in the podcast, stating that he is now talking to the women independently of one another.
Cooper talked to Portnoy and indicated that she begged Franklyn to make the deal but that Franklyn will not sign.
Portnoy has since presented Cooper with a deal, which she is considering. He stated that they are working on getting Cooper back on the air to do the podcast by herself. Talks between Franklyn and Barstool continue. No contract has been signed, and Portnoy is unsure if the ladies will ever come back to the network.
