Tag Archive for: Blogs

Barstool Sports Emergence

            By now, whether it is through our previous blogs or your knowledge, you are probably aware of Barstool Sports. Barstool was not always the powerhouse they are today. The point of this blog is to teach you about Barstool’s history and show you how they became a cult favorite over the last few years.

Barstool’s History

Sportsbook

            Barstool started in the basement of Dave Portnoy’s parents’ house in Milton, Massachusetts. Barstool originally was a hardcore sport, gambling, and fantasy football newspaper. The first issue released on August 27, 2003, and Portnoy had homeless people hand the papers out in public transport stations in Boston. In 2007, barstoolsports.com opened to the public, and the brand started to take off. People started talking about Barstool more, and they continued to grow through word-of-mouth. People loved the content and would share it with their friends. Growing in popularity helped them move to the next stage of their business in 2010, where they would host parties at Universities around the country.

           From 2010-2015 nothing major was happening at Barstool. They were growing their social media presence tremendously while still hosting parties and running their website. In 2016, Barstool company changed. Portnoy relocated the company to New York City. He then sold a 51% stake of the company to The Chernin Group. After this, Barstool Sports hired Ericka Nardini to become the new CEO. This move helped the company convert to a more lifestyle feel while including what the company was founded upon, sports and gambling. In August of 2020, Barstool sold 36% of the company to Penn National Gaming. The value of Barstool was 450 million dollars at the time of the sale. Now in March of 2021, Barstool is valued closer to 4.5 billion dollars. The increase in value is because Barstool owns a sportsbook now. Dave Portnoy has made many people very wealthy, and it is exciting to see where he will take the company in the future.

What Makes Barstool Successful

Pardon My Take

            Barstool has been so successful because it has found a way to target all demographics. They want to make people laugh and have done so by making everything they talk about satirical. They have done a great job of this through their social media pages, podcasts, and unique clothing line. One of the creative things they have done to gain popularity is One Bite Everyone knows the Rules, a series hosted by Portnoy. He goes around the country trying the best-recommended pizzas and rating them. His rating has become the gold standard when considering good pizza. If the pizza has a rating is above a 7, that means that it is GOOD. Barstool also hosts a ton of popular podcasts. Some of the most well-known podcasts are Chicks in the Office, Call Her Daddy, Pardon my Take, and Bussin with the Boys. The podcasts cover everything from sports to dating advice, which helps them connect with such a vast audience. They also have made the term “Saturdays are for the boys” extremely popular and profitable. This term has also had spin-offs like “Saturdays are for the girls.” Essentially, they created a mainstream and profitable meme. Besides all of this, they also host Rough and Rowdy, which are amateur boxing matches. They have even gotten involved in stocks and investment advice over the pandemic. Barstool has had great success because of the wide variety of industries they involve themselves in. Their portfolio has helped them create their cult following, which will help them be even more successful.

The Podcast Explosion

            Many of you have probably heard of podcasts, but do you know what they are? Podcasts are digital audio files made available on the internet for downloading to a computer or mobile device. Typically, they are available as a series, where new installments can be received automatically by subscribers. Podcasts have blown up over the last few years. Podcasts have become a mainstream, accessible, and easily digestible way to engage with stories and ideas. In this blog, we will be discussing all things podcasts. We will talk about why we listen to some of the best podcasts out there.

Statistics

Podcast 1

            Within the last three years, podcast listeners have grown 37.5%. 43% of people in the US listen to podcasts, with 75% of Americans being familiar with podcasts. On average, people who listen to podcasts listen to about 6 of them per week. So, who makes up the active listeners of podcasts? 44% of listeners are millennials, while Gen X makes up 33% of listeners, Baby Boomers make up 16%, and Gen Z makes up 7% of listeners. Lastly, males listen to podcasts slightly more than females. Out of all active listeners, 56% are male, and 44% are female.

Why We Listen

Podcast 2

            It has become easy to access podcasts daily. The podcast boom’s cause is three things; the ubiquity of smartphones, time spent in transit, and online music services. It is easier to multitask to podcasts than any other medium, bringing a dose of productivity to any part of your daily routine. Podcasts attribute to the brain-stimulating and addictive effects of audio learning. Another reason that podcasts are so popular is that it is unlike radio. Podcasts are listened to as much at home as when out and about. It has become mainstream to listen to while doing household chores, cooking, working out, and many other activities. Lastly, there is a podcast for everything. No matter your interests, you will be able to find a podcast perfect for you.

Popular Podcasts

Podcast 3

            I wanted to share with you some of the most popular podcasts and podcast genres. Comedy is the most popular genre, with 2 Dope Queens, The Joe Rogan Experience, and WTF hosted by Marc Maron being the most successful. The next biggest genre is education. The top podcasts in this genre are TED Radio Hour, Freakanomics Radio, and Radiolab. News is a big genre with The Daily, Up First NPR, and Serial leading the way. Then we have my favorite genre, sports! Pardon My Take (my favorite), Fantasy Focus Football, and 30 for 30 ESPN are some of the most popular podcasts out there. Lastly, gaming is a hugely successful genre. Game Scoop, Giant Bombcast, and Fireteam Chat are some of the most well-known in the genre. I could go on and on about podcast genres, but we would be here for days.

What is to Come?

Spotify

            Podcasts are going to continue growing in popularity. The percentage of people who actively listen to podcasts has increased significantly in the last three years. It hasn’t only been growing with millennials but in people 55+, which increased by 29% last year. Podcasts have become popular on all music streaming platforms. For example, Spotify spent over 400 million dollars on podcasted-related acquisitions. Spotify is only the beginning. As podcasts become more popular, more large purchases will take place. If you haven’t already, I highly recommend you start to listen to them!