Bill Simmons finds a new home: HBO
Bill Simmons has traded the Worldwide Leader in Sports for the premium cable network who brought the world of Westeros to life.
HBO announced a multi-year, multi-platform deal on Wednesday with the former ESPN star who was the founding editor of Grantland and the originator of the “30 for 30’’ documentary series after rising to prominence as a Boston-based sports columnist. With HBO serving as his exclusive television home, Simmons, who also hosted successful podcasts and authored two bestselling books during his 15-year ESPN stint, will host a weekly talk show set to begin in 2016.
“We have been fans of Bill Simmons and his work for a very long time,’’ said Michael Lombardo, president of HBO Programming, in a statement. “His intelligence, talent and insights are without precedent in the areas he covers. We could not be more thrilled for him to bring those talents to HBO and to become a signature voice at the network, spanning the sports and pop culture landscapes.’’
According to the HBO statement, Simmons’ weekly program will feature conversations “across the sports and cultural landscapes,’’ a mix familiar to fans of the writer who devoted word count to 90210 and the history of the NBA. The agreement also includes a production deal to create video podcasts and features for HBO and its digital platforms. As noted by Sports Illustrated’s Richard Deitsch and James Andrew Miller, co-author of the definitive history of ESPN, this deal means Simmons may be announcing a home for digital writing in the future.
The announcement from HBO comes several weeks after Simmons’ impending departure from ESPN was confirmed. ESPN president John Skipper announced in May that Simmons’ contract would not be renewed when it expired at the end of September. Simmons’ HBO agreement is set to begin in October. Simmons’ criticism of NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and the profitability of Grantland were cited as possible reasons for the split by Miller.
After the HBO announcement, Miller tweeted that Simmons’ ability to speak his mind freely as a key aspect of the deal.
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In the months since Skipper announced Simmons’ ESPN exit, speculation ran rampant as to where the former “Boston Sports Guy,’’ would end up next, with Fox Sports, Turner/Bleacher Report, Viceamong the possible candidates being mentioned in addition to HBO.
“It’s no secret that HBO is the single best place for creative people in the entire media landscape,’’ Simmons said in a statement released by HBO. “From the moment I started talking to Michael and Richard [Plepler, HBO chairman and CEO], it was hard to imagine being anywhere else.’’
In addition to his quote in the statement, Simmons acknowledged the deal by sharing video of vintage HBO footage with his Twitter followers:
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Simmons’ new deal comes on the heels of ESPN announcing that it will also be parting ways with high-profile talents Keith Olbermann and Colin Cowherd.
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