Barstool Sports the most valuable media company in the world by 2025?

[Sly]

I've seen a lot of dumb things written on Twitter over the years.

But this has to be the dumbest.



Anyone else feel like the success of Barstool Sports is just one long joke being played on anyone with a brain?

 

[CD Boogie]

I've seen a lot of dumb things written on Twitter over the years.

But this has to be the dumbest.



Anyone else feel like the success of Barstool Sports is just one long joke being played on anyone with a brain?

I gotta say, they've kind of grown on me. Their podcast with PFTCommenter and Big Cat is pretty damn funny. Portnoy is pretty entertaining, too. That said, there's a definite sleazy element to some of the stuff they do and run. And the recent news that Portnoy's gf was banging her Soul Cycle instructor was just like watching a car accident unfold in slow motion. I could see the whole operation going down in flames bc he's really a loose cannon. Like I get the sense from his actions that he has a drug problem. The kind of ballsy recklessness that was reminiscent of Daulerio. Or maybe he's just nuts.

 

[Sly]

You've got to be kidding me, those guys are absolute slobs.

 

[Sly]

You've seen PFT Commenter make one joke, you've seen them all. How funny is intentionally misspelling words. Like I said, this website is absolute trash and anyone who consumes any of their content is a loser.

 

[CD Boogie]

You've seen PFT Commenter make one joke, you've seen them all. How funny is intentionally misspelling words. Like I said, this website is absolute trash and anyone who consumes any of their content is a loser.

ok, thanks for the engaging conversation.

 

[Sly]

Call 'em like I see 'em. You're better than that site.

 

[CD Boogie]

Call 'em like I see 'em. You're better than that site.

like any site, I don't agree with everything they do. but calling anyone who consumes any of their content a loser seems a bit extreme.

 

[Sly]

Like I said, this must be one long joke being played on anyone with a brain. These guys are awful writers and they're not as funny as any of their knuckledragger followers think they are. Their popularity is absolutely absurd.

 

[CD Boogie]

Like I said, this must be one long joke being played on anyone with a brain. These guys are awful writers and they're not as funny as any of their knuckledragger followers think they are. Their popularity is absolutely absurd.

tastes vary. I think PFTCommenter is freaking hysterical.

 

[MisterCreosote]

The real question is, how valuable will the "most valuable media company in the world" be worth in 2025?

And, will it be greater or lesser than the value of a cup of Starbucks?

 

[Sly]

The real question is, how valuable will the "most valuable media company in the world" be worth in 2025?

And, will it be greater or lesser than the value of a cup of Starbucks?

I don't know, what kind of worth would you place on an outfit that still thinks Chris Berman jokes are funny and spends the rest of their time chugging gallons of milk on Facebook Live? Watch out, CNN!

 

[CD Boogie]

I don't know, what kind of worth would you place on an outfit that still thinks Chris Berman jokes are funny and spends the rest of their time chugging gallons of milk on Facebook Live? Watch out, CNN!

Hey, you can still tune into ESPN every Fourth of July to watch guys shove hotdogs down their throat. The worth I get from any outlet -- especially one that focuses on sports and pop culture -- is entertainment. Some of their stuff entertains. Some doesn't at all.

 

[MeanGreenATO]

I don't think it's a ridiculously insane notion, and this is coming from someone who loathes almost everything about Barstool. They have captured a young demographic that are incredibly loyal. Richard Deitsch constantly references that the Chernin Group's involvement with Barstool could be a gamechanger.

 

[Alma]

Some phony trumped up value? Sure. Maybe.

I doubt it. These Web sites rarely sustain themselves creatively. Culture changes. The sites don't change with it.

 

[JCT89]

This is a really weird thread even for SJ standards. Do I think Barstool will be the most valuable media company in 2025? Nope. But I do think Barstool is becoming much more mainstream and is clearly growing. I do wonder about the long-term sustainability of a company that banks on being funny and hip -- Bill Simmons hasn't aged well at all -- but there's no denying, whether you like Barstool or not, it's one of the hottest sports brands out there right now.

 

[SFIND]

JCT sums it up good.

I had only a vague awareness it existed (probably because of this site) before PFTCommenter joined on last year. I liked his writing at SBNation and I have enjoyed Pardon My Take. I get why it can be viewed as juvenile hogwash, but I love the parody of serious talking head shows. They recognize the absurdity of their own existence. And their interviews are damn entertaining.

 

[jr/shotglass]

I don't see it as being all that much sillier than SBNation has become. Once you decide you're going to be cute, I guess you're all in.

 

[justgladtobehere]

Some phony trumped up value? Sure. Maybe.

I doubt it. These Web sites rarely sustain themselves creatively. Culture changes. The sites don't change with it.

If I were investing in the company, this would be my biggest worry. Portnoy is 40 or so and he could lose whatever makes his site relevant as he gets older. He seems to have done a good job expanding the brand into other cities and colleges.

I wonder how much of the company's value is in podcasts/videos and merch. The website's posts aren't very interesting and a lot of content seems to be self referential, so you are either in on it or not. Seems like it is heavily brand orientated. If that slips, it could be all over.

That being said, an original writer for the site got a job as the third guy in WEEI's afternoon drive show. (He recently returned to the site). Their baseball writer got a job at CSNNE and another Boston blogger regularly appears on WEEI.

In short, I'm confused and have no idea how the site is worth what it is and why its writers are given any respect.

 

[Kayaugstin Kott]

Most valuable media company? LOL. Obviously not. That's a ridiculous thing to say.

However, there's no denying Barstool's hot streak. I'm no market analyst, but I'd say its key to success will be keeping its fan base as the fans grow older. When the 25- and 30-year-olds are 45- and 50-year-olds, will they still seek out that sort of humor? Probably not. They'll probably try to pivot in some way, while not abandoning what's gotten them here.

 

[Just the facts ma am]

Barstool has replaced Bill Simmons' Grantland and previously ESPN's Page 2 as the "go to" place for sports entertainment.

e.g. Does This Look Like The Face Of A Dude Who Mailed Dead Skunks To A Rival Teacher Who Beat Him Out For A Job?

Yes it does, Barstool, yes it does.