Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy expressed skepticism over the television viewership for FS1’s morning program Wake Up Barstool, citing what he described as “minuscule” numbers that may not accurately reflect the show’s audience. Speaking on the latest episode of The Unnamed Show, Portnoy was asked about reports of low viewership on FS1 of the program and how he believes because of the low viewership that the numbers could provide an inaccurate view of the program.
“The numbers are so minuscule, like they can be just wildly inaccurate, because they’re very small,” Portnoy said, highlighting the challenges of interpreting traditional Nielsen ratings for niche programs.
He elaborated on his doubts about the reliability of the viewership figures, questioning the methodology behind audience measurement. “I’m not saying that’s not what was reported. It’s just so minuscule, they’re not accurate because how many people have the tracking device in their houses,” he explained.
Portnoy’s comments underscore a broader tension in sports media. Where conventional TV metrics often fail to capture the overall impact of a program. Especially inclusive of the digital viewership of younger audiences.
Despite his reservations about linear ratings. Portnoy noted that Wake Up Barstool has been building a following across social media and digital platforms.
“There’s definitely a lot of social media, and it… we didn’t even promote it. We started with nothing,” remarked Portnoy of the program. “Hopefully it’ll slowly build.”
Portnoy also acknowledged that the show’s YouTube performance aligns with expectations, with viewership peaking on segments featuring him and co-host Dan “Big Cat” Katz, then tapering off afterward.
“The numbers of people watching, like mine and Dan, go one, two, and then it goes down a little bit. It’s what you would think,” he said.
Portnoy further indicated that he is selective in his engagement with the program, focusing primarily on specific episodes. “I’m only paying attention to Mondays,” he admitted, suggesting that the show is still in a formative phase where the team is experimenting with formats and content.
Wake Up Barstool, which launched on FS1 earlier this year, aims to blend sports, pop culture, and Barstool’s signature irreverent humor. In the program’s first episode, Portnoy cracked that the programming the preceded Barstool’s arrival on FS1 had “zero” viewership saying, “You can’t go zero to negative zero. So maybe, we can only go up.”
Since the debut, Portnoy has already called the early viewership returns of the program “awful” and added that expectations for a quick breakthrough may be unrealistic.
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Uh, okay, Dave.