Fox Sports has finalized a significant partnership with Barstool Sports, bringing founder Dave Portnoy to its flagship Saturday college football pregame show, “Big Noon Kickoff.”
As part of the deal, Portnoy, Dan “Big Cat” Katz, and other top personalities will headline a new weekday morning show on FS1. Produced by Barstool, the program is positioned to directly challenge ESPN’s morning lineup, including “Get Up” and “First Take.”
Portnoy’s addition to “Big Noon Kickoff” is viewed as a direct response to Pat McAfee’s success on ESPN’s “College GameDay.” However, Portnoy, a University of Michigan alumnus, is expected to serve more as a voice of the fan, particularly as Fox holds the rights to major Big Ten matchups like Michigan versus Ohio State. Sources also indicate that Barstool may produce its own pregame show at select Big Ten games, airing before “Big Noon Kickoff.”
The agreement is a strategic move for FS1, which has struggled to compete with ESPN’s morning ratings. The network recently canceled its morning programs, “Breakfast Ball” and “The Facility,” due to poor viewership, which also negatively impacted the lead-in for its subsequent shows. Fox Sports also ceased production of its afternoon show “Speak” earlier this week.
Structured as a licensing agreement, the deal mirrors ESPN’s arrangement with McAfee, allowing Barstool to retain editorial control and manage production. UTA represented Barstool in the negotiations.
This venture marks Barstool’s most significant return to mainstream sports television since 2017, when its ESPN2 show “Barstool Van Talk” was canceled after a single episode. The cancellation followed internal backlash at ESPN over the brand’s controversial history. At the time, then-president John Skipper stated he “erred in assuming we could distance our efforts from the Barstool site and its content.”
Over the years, Portnoy and Barstool have been involved in numerous controversies and faced misconduct accusations, though the brand has maintained a large and loyal following. Despite these issues, its podcast “Pardon My Take” consistently ranks among the most popular sports podcasts.
On his X account, Portnoy expressed enthusiasm for the new partnership, stating, “This is the 1st time in our illustrious and notorious history that we’ve got a (TV) partner we believe in and believes in us.”
Fox Sports declined to comment on the deal.
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