Another Barstool podcast just died before it ever lived.<\/p>\n
Dave Portnoy confirmed that a few potential additions to the Barstool network are officially off the table, including a show with Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham. Portnoy said he initially tested Cunningham\u2019s Show Me Something with former Complex Sports producer and current Bravo personality West Wilson, but the deal ultimately fell apart<\/a>. He felt Barstool was getting \u201cscrewed,\u201d and passed. That podcast has since found a new home<\/a> at The Volume.<\/p>\n Portnoy also revealed that an idea he floated to Ryan Whitney \u2014 a show featuring Brady and Matthew Tkachuk \u2014 won\u2019t be happening either. The plan was to bring the NHL brothers into the Barstool fold, but Portnoy backed off, citing concerns that it would cannibalize Spittin\u2019 Chiclets, Barstool\u2019s flagship hockey brand and the No. 13 sports podcast<\/a> on Spotify.<\/p>\n Brady Tkachuk and Matthew Tkachuk were in talks with Barstool about starting a podcast and having @BFW<\/a> as host. Ultimately it fell through though \u2014 RGF (@rgfray1) July 31, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cNot happening,\u201d Portnoy said.<\/p>\n Whitney and co-host Paul Bissonnette reportedly gave their blessing, but Portnoy wasn\u2019t convinced. He pointed to the high costs and legal risks associated with launching new shows and made it clear that he\u2019s no longer willing to bankroll Barstool with his Penn sale proceeds.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t want to fund Barstool out of the money that I\u2019ve made selling Penn,\u201d the Boston native said. \u201cI\u2019ve said that I want to make money, break even. But, really afraid what would happen if we got another hockey podcast is our salespeople would be like, \u2018Oh, what was once a Chiclet ad is now this other hockey.\u2019 It\u2019s like, OK, it doesn\u2019t help us at all.\u201d<\/p>\n While Spittin\u2019 Chiclets remains the biggest hockey podcast in the world, Portnoy made it clear that being No. 1 in hockey doesn\u2019t exactly move the financial needle.<\/p>\n \u201cChiclets is huge, the No. 1 hockey podcast,\u201d he said.\u00a0\u201cIs it like this enormous cash cow like PMT? No\u2026Hockey isn\u2019t football. It just isn\u2019t. You don\u2019t have the advertising coming into it\u2026 If it was a football podcast, I\u2019ll keep adding football because advertisers can\u2019t get enough. Give me football. They\u2019re dying to spend on football. You don\u2019t have that in hockey.\u201d<\/p>\n Portnoy has long flirted with adding big-name talent to Barstool\u2019s network of podcasts. When Bill Belichick was entering the media world after his unceremonious exit from New England, Portnoy explored a project with the now-head football coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels. That show ultimately went to Underdog Fantasy, though Portnoy later said he was glad they passed<\/a>.<\/p>\n What\u2019s interesting is Portnoy\u2019s hesitation around the Tkachuk podcast idea. He worried it would split the market with Spittin\u2019 Chiclets and cut into their audience, even though he acknowledges Brady and Matthew as the biggest stars in hockey right now. On top of that, it\u2019s tough for active players to balance being in the league and doing a podcast.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s going to be a lot of stress in my life to not make a lot of money, but just have a cool podcast,\u201d he said. \u201cAt this point, is it worth it? And in the end, I don\u2019t think it is. It\u2019s just going to add f*cking a ton of stress.\u201d<\/p>\n \t
Via @barstoolunnamed<\/a> #GoSensGo<\/a> #timetohunt<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/oMVbvQbodT<\/a><\/p>\n