Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy knows a thing or two about podcasts, and believes the industry is “super convoluted” nowadays, so being “early and different” are key elements to success.
“We’ve had every podcast, like, under the sun come through our doors. We were early to a lot of them,” Portnoy told Fox News Digital.
Indeed, Barstool has produced podcasts for people from all walks of life, including wildly popular sports titles such as “Pardon My Take” and “Spittin Chiclets” to the female-centric pop culture brand “Chicks in the Office.”
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Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy has launched multiple successful podcasts in the “super convoluted” space. (The Dave Portnoy Show With Eddie & Co/Youtube)
Barstool has podcasts for just about everything, with “Macrodosing” allowing its hosts to explore conspiracy theories, “The Yak” and “KFC Radio” offering locker-room style banter, “BFFs” providing candid conversations for a younger Gen Z audience, “Fore Play” covering golf, “Lights Camera Barstool” focusing on movies, “Out & About” exploring gay culture, “Mostly Sports” providing commentary on, well, mostly sports, and many more. Barstool also produces a plethora of comedy and gambling podcasts, and Portnoy co-hosts “The Unnamed Show,” which takes a look at weekly drama inside the company.
Barstool even has a podcast, “Taylor Watch, which is dedicated to Taylor Swift news.
Portnoy believes the recipe for success is quite simple.
“It’s the person who is doing the podcast, whether they’re interesting, connect, honest, authentic, all that, and whether it’s been done before,” he said. “Credibility with the audience.”
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Dave Portnoy believes “credibility with the audience” is a key to success. (Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
One of Barstool’s most successful podcasts was “Call Her Daddy,” a sex-themed offering that was originally hosted by Alexandra Cooper and Sofia Franklyn. The co-hosts eventually went their separate ways, and Cooper has emerged as one of the most influential voices in all of media.
Cooper took the “Call Her Daddy” brand to Spotify for a multi-million-dollar deal, and jumped to SiriusXM in 2024 for a massive payday that reportedly landed her $125 million over three years.
Cooper went on to sign influencer Alix Earle — who recently became Sports Illustrated Swimsuit’s first-ever digital cover star — to her Unwell Network, but Variety reported last month that the female influencers have split up and gone their separate ways. Portnoy found himself caught up in the ordeal when he posted a video of himself playfully shaking a can of High Noon superimposed on an image showing he had a phone call with Earle.
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Alex Cooper, Dave Portnoy and Alix Earle.
Many suspected Barstool was set to sign Earle, but Portnoy says he was actually mocking Cooper, who posted a similar video when she signed former Barstool host Grace O’Malley.
“That was a joke,” Portnoy said.
“I’ve known Alix Earle before she even became huge, and obviously Alex worked for me. I still have a good relationship with her, but she made the same exact video with Grace. So, I was just kind of mocking and poking fun,” he added, before explaining that Earle is already too popular for the Barstool formula and the 24-year-old influencer won’t be joining his company.
“The Barstool model is to find unknown people and then get them big. Once they’re already big – what happens with Alex and Alix happens. It’s like, ‘Well, what do I need you [for]?’ And vice versa,” Portnoy said. “Money complaints, the old band label kind of thing… I was just kind of needling Alex Cooper a little bit, just like, turnabout is fair play.”
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