The r/BillSimmons Podcast The r/BillSimmons Podcast

In this episode I break down why we’re about to see such a massive shift in the NBA rights deals. I discuss:

— What went wrong with the formation of TNT’s parent Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD)

— Why WBD’s recent financials have been disastrous

— The highly negative impact of WBD signing a new NBA deal at double the cost of the previous one

— Why the deal makes much more sense for NBC and Amazon

— Why the NBA prefers NBC and Amazon over WBD

Welcome to Episode 73! We bring on Mike from Twitter (@PokerPolitics) for a deeper look into the evolution of Bill Simmons, as Mike's been reading Bill since the Page 2 ESPN days in the early 2000s.

First we start with Bill Simmons current events. His flip flops on the Wolves-Nuggets series have been legendary. Plus, we react to the embarrassing Justin Termine appearance defending Bill's outrageous takes.

Next we go back to Mike's origins finding Bill and wonder whether he'd be as successful if he were the "Seattle Sports Guy" or the "Cleveland Sports Guy." We agree that Boston played a large role in his success.

Next we revisit some classic Page 2 columns and try to get to the bottom of why Bill turned into 2024 Full Parody Hot Take Artist Bill Simmons. Was it inevitable after being in sports media for so long? Was it a conscious choice? Is he simply following the trends of what media has become these days?

We finish up discussing how Bill's refusal to take an L on his takes has made his listeners more than ever root aggressively against his Boston teams.

Hope you enjoyed! Thank you to Wiser Times for the intro song and Zach Blatter for the cover art.

Welcome to Episode 72! We bring on Wiser Times - the creator of the awesome intro song - for another classic r/BS Pod ep.

First we delve into Bill Simmons current events. We're seeing previously unimagined levels of flip flopping from the Podfather, which is backfiring on him in hilarious ways. It's been very fun to see Bill's takes age poorly almost immediately this NBA postseason.

Next we get into how Wiser Times found Bill, which he did through The Ringer's NBA Desktop show. Why did Bill's website essentially stop doing video for years, especially when this is *the* growth segment for younger sports and pop culture fans?

We then talk NHL and The Ringer's lack of coverage, comparing it to the editorial decision to also not cover college football and basketball; Bill personally doesn't like them. Plus, why have the NHL and MLB fallen in popularity, and what can the NBA do in their new rights deal to better reach young fans?

We next talk about Wiser Times' background in music, including his favorite music pods, and end up talking Red Hot Chili Peppers and their place in music history, including whether they're on the post 1990 Mount Rushmore of rock bands (and who else is on it).

We finish up discussing how Russillo keeps market correcting Bill for many listeners.

If you like the show, follow Wiser Times on social media and music platforms (links below)

Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/ca/artist/wiser-times/1448970048

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2XiRm7fyJD4pxKO0KroEyG?si=17N24sgxTFmkNpod3CESgQ&nd=1&dlsi=6a6d115897764c24

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wisertimes_?igsh=MXdicGVrdnlicHM5eA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

Also, thank you to Zach Blatter for the cover art

Welcome to Episode 71! We bring on JF, who reached out to me on the Bill Simmons subreddit wanting to talk Simmons, The Ringer and more.

We first hit on Bill Simmons current events - it's laughable how much Bill praises and makes excuses for KD but hates on LeBron. What's the reason for this? We think it's obvious.

Next we discuss why Mark Titus and others have left The Ringer - is Bill not paying people enough and not giving them creative freedom? That appears to be the case. And why is Barstool of all places better at developing talent than The Ringer?

After we do a check-in on r/BillSimmons, of which JF has been a fan of for years, we finish with an in-depth discussion of the new NBA deal. Is NBC overpaying? Is Warner Bros. screwed without it? Do the economics work for Amazon? We get into all that and more.

Hope you enjoy the episode! And thank you to Wiser Times for the intro music and Zach Blatter for the cover art.

Welcome to Episode 70! We bring on Doug from Twitter (@dougie_fresh055) for a rollicking ride of all things Bill Simmons.

We first hit on Bill Simmons current events, including what will surely be a hilariously petty response to LeBron's podcast with JJ; in fact, this likely explains the uptick in cheap shots Bill's taken at LeBron lately.

Next we look back at Doug's Bill Simmons tweets starting as early as 2012. We see the highs (mailbags, NBA Draft, Grantland, Countdown, Bill & Jalen's Previews) before Bill's descent: It started with the KD pods, Bill's first shows that felt transactional rather than an earnest conversation. Then we get to JackieMac's awful pods, some of the worst NBA audio content there ever was - why did Bill think this was good radio? And finally, we get to the Ringer lackey phase - Bill can't do better than Ruiz & Solak?

After our journey to Nadir Canyon, we discuss how both Guess the Lines and the Russillo NBA pods are stale - does Ryen even like doing them anymore? We think it's a Bill problem, not a Russillo issue. Part of what is plaguing Bill is his extreme arrogance, with guests not wanting to push back, afraid of offending only child Bill.

We close out the pod comparing Bill to his peer group Russillo, Cowherd and Nick Wright - some of these guys are doing better than others.

Hope you enjoy! And thank you to Wiser Times music for the intro song and Zach Blatter for the cover art.

That’s right — an entire show talking Ringer Union. The BS Pod has continued to be released despite no contract after it expired, yet Bill added a disclaimer today that The Ringer is “owned, managed and operated by Spotify” - was this an attempt to pass the buck? We say yes. Bill not only has significant influence at Spotify, but he’s also Head of Podcast Monetization & Innovation!

We then get into the crux of the Ringer Union issue and wonder how Bill got himself into this in the first place. Incredibly, the hold up seems to be creative rights in AI, which Bill has discussed in-depth with guests on his podcast including Derek Thompson and Matt Belloni. Why hasn’t this been solved yet?

We next talk The Ringer at large and why it hasn't been successful at developing talent, before reviewing the first Ringer Union timeline and how they ultimately got a deal. You won’t want to miss this breakdown.

If you liked the pod, check out Neil on Twitter: @NeilYayamanj