Zach Lowe out at ESPN

[Message Boar]

Has Zach come out and said anything publicly yet? I hope he finds a new gig before the regular season tips off.

[TFJava]

This is a surprise.

[Pantsman]

I doubt Lowe goes to The Ringer. Simmons and Russillo are pretty much all you need for NBA coverage. The secondary guys are fine and Bill has on guests from other outlets throughout the season. College basketball and the draft isn’t compelling anymore so there wasn’t much use for KOC. The NFL is still king in this country and Bill knows where his bread is buttered.

Have you listened to bill? He shoehorns basketball into every conversation. The nfl isn’t king at the ringer. Lowe will be on the ringer but maybe not exclusively.

Is it a certainty that Simmons is at The Ringer long term?

Last I read, his contract (after selling to Spotify) was up in early 2025. Maybe he wants to tap into a new venture rather than stick with the same thing... only under corporate restrictions.

He started the ringer and is in charge so I don’t see why he would leave his own company. He didn’t sell the complaint to Spotify he just gave them the rights to the podcast. Kinda like Rogan.

[AleksandarN]

Have you listened to bill? He shoehorns basketball into every conversation. The nfl isn’t king at the ringer. Lowe will be on the ringer but maybe not exclusively.

Is it a certainty that Simmons is at The Ringer long term?

Last I read, his contract (after selling to Spotify) was up in early 2025. Maybe he wants to tap into a new venture rather than stick with the same thing... only under corporate restrictions.

He started the ringer and is in charge so I don’t see why he would leave his own company. He didn’t sell the complaint to Spotify he just gave them the rights to the podcast. Kinda like Rogan.

He sold it to Spotify for 195 million

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/digital/spotify-pay-as-as-195-million-bill-simmons-ringer-1279077/

[HotelVitale]

Saw this while randomly scrolling, conversation has some good general points about the Lowe situation (even though both dudes seem kinda bored) but reason I'm posting is both seemed to agree the best explanation for the move atm was that espn is clearing the decks to make a run at Charles Barkley in the future.

Watch on YouTube

[Ryoga Hibiki]

Who owns the Lowe Post name? Zach or ESPN?

[raleigh]

espn is clearing the decks to make a run at Charles Barkley in the future.

I'd be more inclined to believe that if they let SAS go first.

[HotelVitale]

espn is clearing the decks to make a run at Charles Barkley in the future.

I'd be more inclined to believe that if they let SAS go first.

They’re definitely not going to do that. The thinking behind that move would be to stop going after the more thoughtful readers/viewers and just invest big in a couple famous + charismatic guys who are entertaining for the Everyman crowd. Just become the mainstream sports outlet that shows a lot of games and always has someone simple and loud and entertaining (and famous) talking about them.

[raleigh]

invest big in a couple famous + charismatic guys who are entertaining for the Everyman crowd

I think it's a misunderstanding of the Everyman to think that the soapbox personalities can co-exist in one show. To me, the formula works best as:

1 style +
1 substance +
1 host

You can have multiple charisma guys for the NBA at ESPN, but I don't think you can mix them. If it were up to me, "Stephen A" and "Big Perk" would never be on the same show together. Adding Barkley into that equation just seems redundant.

[shrink]

invest big in a couple famous + charismatic guys who are entertaining for the Everyman crowd

I think it's a misunderstanding of the Everyman to think that the soapbox personalities can co-exist in one show. To me, the formula works best as:

1 style +
1 substance +
1 host.

I had never thought about that, but I think you’re right. It’s why the three-man TNT team worked so well for years, where the broadcast could appeal to both sides of your brain.

Now though, networks are leaning into having multiple charisma guys, and they have all gotten louder and more combative. The substance-guys like Lowe are forced to do similar antics to even be heard, and frankly, it’s beneath them. I think Woj had finally had enough of ESPN putting him on camera, having to awkwardly sit by listening while ESPN producers give air-time to know-nothings like Perkins. They lean into the ignorance, “it’s not the right top five, it’s Perkins top five!”

None of these personalities can be as appealing as Barkley, but the networks keep throwing guys like Perkins and Shaq at us, trying to duplicate his appeal. But by burying us in these guys, it just makes the whole broadcasts unbearable.

[shrink]

Maybe there is an analogy here in a hot dog. Kenny is the meat, and Barkley is the mustard.

Vendors discover many people like a mustard on their hot dogs. Then producers see that fans like mustard, so they put two or three times as much mustard on the hotdog, and then try to make each mustard spicier. Instead of making it better, it quickly becomes impossible to taste the meat, and ruins the whole hot dog.

[the sea duck]

Who owns the Lowe Post name? Zach or ESPN?

i'm just guessing but think espn probably owns the name. simmons' podcast used to be "the bs report" and became "the bill simmons podcast" after espn.

[dhsilv2]

espn is clearing the decks to make a run at Charles Barkley in the future.

I'd be more inclined to believe that if they let SAS go first.

SAS is on like every single show...Chuck is going to work max 15 hours a week.

[wco81]

Chuck isn't available until next year.

Yeah he's not going to be on during the week as much as Lowe did, who did podcasts, NBA Today.

Barkley might appear on First Take a couple of times a week and NBA Countdown. But he's not going to produce podcasts nor articles.

He's also not going to do the kind of analytics breakdown that Zach does.

[HotelVitale]

invest big in a couple famous + charismatic guys who are entertaining for the Everyman crowd

I think it's a misunderstanding of the Everyman to think that the soapbox personalities can co-exist in one show. To me, the formula works best as:

1 style +
1 substance +
1 host

You can have multiple charisma guys for the NBA at ESPN, but I don't think you can mix them. If it were up to me, "Stephen A" and "Big Perk" would never be on the same show together. Adding Barkley into that equation just seems redundant.

If you always have one of them on any given show, though, they can anchor whoever else. Not speaking for myself—I can’t sit through any ESPN show, Zach Lowe or no—but I could see why it might make sense to them.

[AleksandarN]

Read on Twitter

[iggymcfrack]

Woah. Had no idea Lowe was making seven figures. I listen to his podcasts religiously but do podcasts bring in that kind of dough? I doubt that. There are still bunch of guys providing interesting content on ESPN websites like Pelton who is probably much cheaper and will capture the same crowd

I believe Simmons and Rogan got podcast deals from Spotify for $50MM each and that’s not even exclusive. That’s just to get it a few hours before Apple. There’s absolutely huge money in podcasts if you bring in a big audience.