Dave Portnoy is coming to Fox Sports and he’s bringing his Michigan fandom with him.
The Barstool Sports honcho officially confirmed that he and his sports media empire are joining Fox Sports on Thursday, and he detailed what he plans to add to his role on “Big Noon Kickoff.”
“What conference has ruled college football year after year after year? National Champion after National Champion?” Portnoy said in one of his trademark “Emergency Press Conference” videos posted to X. “Answer: the Big Ten. And what network covers the Big Ten better than anybody else? Fox Sports. ‘Big Noon Kickoff.’ And what school has dominated the Big Ten more than any school in the history of the conference? The answer: the Michigan Wolverines.
“Well, that ends today, friends. Barstool Sports, myself, we are joining ‘Big Noon Kickoff.’ The days of kicking Michigan when we’re not around is over.”
As for the other details of the partnership, Portnoy let slip a few details on “The Unnamed Show” with cohosts Ryan Whitney and Kirk Minihane, noting that it’s a “wide-ranging partnership.”
“We’re going to partner with Big Noon Kickoff… I’m going to be on it every week,” he said, noting that Barstool Sports’ college football show will remain as a lead-in on the website — though Barstool personalities will be incorporated into “Kickoff.”
“We are going to do an 8-10 daily show on Fox Sports 1. It will be like a ‘Barstool Breakfast Show’ [or] ‘Barstool Wake up,’ Portnoy said. “I’m going to do Mondays, we’ll have an office in Chicago. They want a taste of the Barstool world, really.”
Barstool personalities, like Dan “Big Cat” Katz, will have a role, though it’s yet to be determined exactly how.
It’s a stunning return to TV for Portnoy and his band of writers and podcasters. In 2017, Barstool Sports partnered with ESPN, but its “Van Talk” show was canceled after one episode after the Worldwide Leader experience internal blowback.
It’s not something Portnoy fears will happen again at Fox Sports.
“I’m very happy with the deal,” he said.
The feeling at Fox Sports is mutual.
“We’re excited to welcome Dave Portnoy and Barstool Sports to the FOX Sports family. Dave has built a one-of-a-kind brand that connects with a new generation of sports fans – authentic, bold, and original,” CEO and Executive Producer of Fox Sports Eric Shanks said in a statement. “Their unique voice and loyal fanbase makes them a natural fit for our evolving multiplatform content strategy.”