After 15 years as a fixture on The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz, Billy Gil is leaving the program marking the end of an era for the Miami-based sports talk podcast. Gil’s departure is amicable, with his last day set for Friday.
“After a decade and a half of glorious energy. Billy Gil’s final day with us is tomorrow,” said Le Batard to open his program on Thursday. “He’s leaving us for a bigger job at Spotify, and I’m both sad and happy to announce that. Sad because someone I care about deeply is going. Happy because someone I care about deeply is also growing. You have two choices when a surprise like this lands on you, you can be selfish and feel left behind, or you can open your heart and rejoice in getting to see all that is up ahead.”
Gil is moving to a management role at Spotify and The Ringer, a sports and entertainment podcast network founded by Bill Simmons. The shift will take him mostly off the air but positions him within one of the show’s top competitors.
“Billy both grew up with us and never grew up with us, but he has children of his own now, and he’s career driven, so he seeks more adult creative challenges than just babysitting Stugotz and me all the way to the end,” said Le Batard. “Billy’s gentle grace behind the scenes and creative coloring in the scenes are not things that could be replicated ever. Never mind replaced. All of this will be harder without him. Obviously our soul will not be the same. Not even going to try to pretend it will be.”
Both The Dan Le Batard Show and Simmons’ flagship podcast regularly rank among the top five on Apple Podcasts’ national charts, making Gil’s move a notable transition in the sports media landscape.
According to the Miami Herald’s Greg Cote, who is also a regular contributor to the program. The announcement was accompanied by a tribute to Gil, who became emotional when privately informing Le Batard of his decision. Le Batard said to open his program on Thursday that he fully supported Gil’s career-driven choice.
Gil’s tenure on the program has been marked by his dry humor and a distinctive, anarchic energy that endeared him to listeners.
Since joining the program in 2010, Gil has been a central figure in the show’s identity. Fans of The Dan Le Batard Show have often praised his sharp comedic timing and willingness to push boundaries, qualities that contributed to the program’s reputation for mixing sports coverage with irreverent humor.
Spotify has not officially released plans for Gil’s position with the growing podcast network.
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