Barstool Sports

What Barstool Sports does

Barstool Sports is a privately held digital sports, entertainment, and lifestyle media company founded in 2003 by Dave Portnoy and headquartered in New York, with a newly established Chicago office. The company produces and distributes personality-driven content across a portfolio of approximately 15+ sub-brands including flagship podcasts Pardon My Take, Spittin' Chiclets, The Ryen Russillo Show, The Yak, and Chicks in the Office; video series such as One Bite (pizza reviews), Wake Up Barstool, and Barstool College Football Show; and interactive content including The Dozen Trivia League and Barstool Pick Em. Its content is delivered through owned digital platforms (barstoolsports.com website and a mobile app available across iOS, Android, Apple TV, Roku, Fire TV, and Android TV with reported 50,000 reviews and a 5-star rating), YouTube, and — most significantly since late 2025 — exclusive video podcast distribution on Netflix for three flagship shows and a daily two-hour programming block on Fox Sports' FS1 channel.

The company's revenue model is multi-stream and diversified across four primary mechanisms. Licensing royalties are now a major contributor following the Netflix video podcast deal (reported at eight figures annually) and the Fox Sports partnership. Advertising and sponsorship revenue comes from integrated brand deals across content, with named partners including DraftKings, Rhoback, Every Man Jack, PHX, Gametime, Green Thumb, and Baker Mayfield. Direct-to-consumer merchandise sales flow through the Barstool Store at store.barstoolsports.com, featuring branded apparel and personality-driven product lines. Live events — including the Barstool Classic amateur golf tournament series ($1,400 entry, $20,000 championship prize), Rough N Rowdy boxing events, and the Barstool Trivia Tournament through VIVA TV — provide additional experiential revenue. The company does not employ a consumer subscription model; content is free to users, monetized through advertising, sponsorships, licensing, and merchandise.

Barstool's go-to-market is product-led and personality-led growth, with the brand's "Unfiltered. Unapologetic." voice and individual personalities (Portnoy, Big Cat, PFT Commenter, Ryen Russillo, Hubbs, Kelly Keegs, and others) serving as the primary acquisition engine. Multi-platform distribution amplifies reach, and the company has executed channel partnerships with Netflix and Fox Sports as core enterprise relationships. The customer base is bifurcated: consumer audiences consuming sports commentary, gambling content, and entertainment, and enterprise customers (Netflix, Fox Sports, sponsors) licensing content and audience access. Barstool is privately held by founder Dave Portnoy, with PENN Entertainment holding a minority stake acquired via a $163 million investment in January 2020 and an earlier $15 million investment from The Chernin Group in 2018.

Name

Barstool Sports

Legal name

Barstool Sports, Inc.

Website

https://barstoolsports.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Barstool Sports is a privately held digital sports and entertainment media company that produces podcasts, video shows, and live events distributed across owned platforms, Netflix, Fox Sports, and YouTube for sports fans and brand sponsors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Digital Sports Media and Entertainment

NAICS

Spectator Sports (71121)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Media & Broadcast Sponsorship (In-Game Broadcast, Streaming Sponsorship) (MPAKALAF)

Keywords

• Digital sports media
• Sports entertainment content
• Sports podcasting
• Sports video content
• Branded merchandise sales

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Video Podcast Licensing: Exclusive multi-year deal with Netflix to stream video versions of flagship podcasts (Pardon My Take, Spittin' Chiclets, The Ryen Russillo Show). Deal is worth 'in the eight figures' per year. Audio versions continue on existing podcast platforms while video episodes are exclusive to Netflix.
2. Advertising & Sponsorship: Primary revenue from advertising and sponsorship deals across the platform. Sponsors include DraftKings for gambling content, Rhoback for apparel, and various brand partnerships throughout content.
3. Merchandise Sales: Direct-to-consumer merchandise sales through the Barstool Store (store.barstoolsports.com), featuring apparel and branded merchandise for various shows and personalities including Spittin' Chiclets, Pardon My Take, Fore Play, and One Bite.
4. Media Partnership Content: Partnership with FOX Sports includes Dave Portnoy as regular contributor to Big Noon Kickoff show, with Barstool producing a daily two-hour program on FS1. Content collaboration across digital platforms.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Barstool Sports is a digital sports, entertainment, and media brand that produces and distributes personality-driven sports commentary, podcasts, video shows, and lifestyle content across owned websites, mobile apps, YouTube, Netflix, and FOX Sports. The company sells branded merchandise through the Barstool Store and hosts live events including the Barstool Classic amateur golf tournament series with a $20,000 championship prize pool.

Product overview

Barstool Sports is a digital media company offering a multi-platform portfolio of sports, entertainment, and lifestyle content. The core offering consists of podcasts (Pardon My Take, Spittin' Chiclets, The Ryen Russillo Show, The Yak, Chicks in the Office, Out & About), video shows (Wake Up Barstool, Barstool College Football Show, Viva TV), and interactive content (One Bite pizza reviews, The Dozen Trivia League, Barstool Pick Em, Barstool Sports Advisors). The company operates a mobile app across iOS, Android, Apple TV, Roku, Fire TV, and Android TV, and hosts live events including the Barstool Classic golf tournament series. In 2026, Barstool launched a major video podcast distribution partnership with Netflix for exclusive streaming of flagship podcast video versions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Pardon My Take: Flagship sports comedy podcast featuring analysis and interviews
• Spittin' Chiclets
• Fore Play
• The Yak
• One Bite
• Chicks in the Office
• Wake Up Barstool
• The Ryen Russillo Show
• Sports Central
• Viva TV
• The Dozen Trivia
• Barstool Sports Advisors
• Barstool Pick Em
• Surviving Barstool
• What's For Lunch
• Barstool College Football Show
• Rough N Rowdy
• Stella Blue Coffee
• Barstool Classic

Products and services

• Pardon My Take Flagship sports comedy podcast featuring humorous sports commentary and interviews with athletes and celebrities, distributed on audio platforms and exclusively as a video podcast on Netflix.
• Spittin' Chiclets Hockey-focused podcast hosted by former NHL players covering NHL news, interviews, and analysis; video version exclusively streaming on Netflix.
• The Ryen Russillo Show Sports analysis podcast hosted by Ryen Russillo covering NBA, NFL, and broader sports commentary; video version exclusively streaming on Netflix.
• The Yak Comedy and pop culture podcast featuring Barstool personalities discussing trending topics and daily entertainment news.
• Chicks in the Office Women's lifestyle and pop culture podcast hosted by Ria and Jena, covering entertainment, sports, and celebrity news.
• Out & About Lifestyle podcast covering nightlife, entertainment, and social events.
• Fore Play Golf-focused podcast covering PGA Tour news, interviews, and golf culture, associated with the Barstool Classic amateur golf tournament series.
• One Bite Iconic pizza review video series hosted by Dave Portnoy reviewing pizza restaurants across the country with a standardized rating system.
• Wake Up Barstool Daily morning show video series covering sports news, analysis, and trending topics.
• Viva TV Entertainment and pop culture video series featuring viral content, interviews, and the Barstool Trivia Tournament.
• Barstool College Football Show College football-focused video show covering NCAA news, analysis, and game previews.
• Sports Central Daily sports news and analysis podcast, formerly known as Picks Central before rebranding away from gambling focus.
• Surviving Barstool Reality competition video series where Barstool employees compete in challenges for cash prizes.
• Barstool Sports App Multi-platform mobile and connected TV application available on iOS, Android, Apple TV, Roku, Fire TV, and Android TV for accessing Barstool Sports content.
• The Dozen Trivia League Daily trivia competition game featuring sports and pop culture questions with competitive rankings.
• Barstool Sports Advisors Sports betting analysis podcast providing picks and betting advice for various sports.
• Barstool Pick Em Sports betting prediction and picks content featuring personalities making game predictions.
• Barstool Golf Time Golf-focused brand extension featuring golf content, merchandise, and the Barstool Classic amateur golf tournament series.
• Barstool Classic Amateur golf tournament series hosted by Barstool Sports with regional qualifying events and a championship at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona, featuring a $20,000 championship prize pool with $1,400 entry fees.
• Barstool Store Direct-to-consumer e-commerce store at store.barstoolsports.com featuring branded apparel and merchandise across show franchises and personalities including Spittin' Chiclets, Pardon My Take, Fore Play, and One Bite.
• Netflix Video Podcast Partnership Exclusive video podcast streaming distribution partnership with Netflix for flagship Barstool Sports podcast content, starting in early 2026 with initial US availability and planned international expansion.

Quantifiable outcome

• Netflix deal worth eight figures annually demonstrates significant value of flagship podcast content

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Every Man JackminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 10 March 2026Marketing partnership with men's personal care brand Every Man Jack for 2026 refresh marketing initiatives, including NFL quarterback Baker Mayfield and Barstool Sports as marketing partners.
• FOX SportscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 January 2026Comprehensive multiplatform content partnership covering college football and college basketball. Dave Portnoy becomes regular contributor to Big Noon Kickoff show. Barstool produces a daily two-hour program on FS1. Collaboration on digital content across both platforms including new Chicago office.
• NetflixcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 17 December 2025Multi-year exclusive video streaming partnership for three flagship Barstool podcasts: Pardon My Take, Spittin' Chiclets, and The Ryen Russillo Show. Video episodes will be exclusive to Netflix while audio versions continue on existing platforms. Deal represents significant expansion of Netflix's podcast content and Barstool's distribution reach.
• GametimeminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 5 December 2025'12 Days of Gametime' holiday sweepstakes partnership running December 5-17, 2025. Barstool Sports promotes the campaign through creator-led social content. Promotion awards $250 daily gift cards with $5,000 grand prize.
• Green ThumbminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 10 August 2024Partnership with cannabis company Green Thumb to increase media exposure through Barstool Sports platforms and audiences.
• DraftKingsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsorship partnership for Sports Central (formerly Picks Central) gambling-focused content. DraftKings previously sponsored the show but partnership ended following rebranding away from gambling focus. DraftKings still sponsors Barstool Pizza Review content.
• Fox AdvertisingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerInclusion in Creators@Fox initiative launched at CES 2024, connecting Barstool Sports talent with brand campaigns across Fox's linear and digital platforms including Tubi's Creatorverse initiative.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• The Ringer: Direct peer in personality-driven sports and pop culture podcasting. The Ringer (founded by Bill Simmons) competes with Barstool for the same sports podcast audience with flagship shows covering NBA, NFL, and pop culture, distributed across Spotify and YouTube.
• Bleacher Report: Major digital sports media brand producing written, video, and social content across all major sports verticals. Competes with Barstool for the same young, sports-fan audience and digital ad spend, with a similar multi-platform distribution model.
• SB Nation: Network of team-specific sports blogs and multimedia content owned by Vox Media. Direct competitor in digital sports commentary and analysis, with overlapping podcast and video strategies.
• The Athletic: Subscription-based digital sports media company (now owned by The New York Times) producing deep-dive sports journalism, podcasts, and video. Competes for the same sports enthusiast audience with a more long-form, premium positioning versus Barstool's entertainment-driven model.
• The Pat McAfee Show: Personality-driven sports and gambling content show distributed on YouTube and ESPN. Directly comparable to Barstool's flagship podcasts in tone, audience, and betting content integration, and represents Barstool's closest single-show competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Sports Illustrated: Legacy sports media brand producing written, video, and podcast content across all major sports verticals. Operates as a broader portfolio player rather than a niche personality brand, but competes for the same advertising and audience segments as Barstool.
• DAZN: Global sports streaming platform producing original sports media content and distributing live sports. A broader incumbent in sports content and distribution that intersects with Barstool's audience for boxing (Rough N Rowdy) and combat sports coverage.

Emerging players

• Front Office Sports: Digital sports business media company covering the business of sports with newsletters, podcasts, and video. Comparable in digital-first content distribution and sponsorship-driven monetization, though focused on the sports business vertical rather than fan-facing sports commentary.
• Meadowlark Media: Sports media company founded by John Skipper and Dan Le Batard producing podcasts, video, and documentary content. Comparable in personality-driven sports media IP and content licensing business model, though smaller in scale than Barstool.
• Puck News: Digital media company producing personality-driven newsletter, podcast, and video content in sports and entertainment verticals. Comparable as a newer digital media brand monetizing through subscription and sponsorship, with similar premium content IP approach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/barstoolsports
• Facebookfacebook.com/barstoolsports
• Instagraminstagram.com/barstoolsports
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/barstool-sports

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A2 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Barstool Sports