On Wednesday’s episode of The Dan Le Batard Show, host Dan Le Batard weighed in on Bill Simmons’ and several of The Ringer’s podcast catalog moving to Netflix, suggesting the narrative of the deal’s positivity may not align with Simmons’ actual perspective.
Netflix and Spotify announced in October a new partnership to bring some of the digital audio company’s biggest podcasts to the video streaming platform next year. Many of the podcasts included in the deal are from The Ringer, which was launched by Bill Simmons in 2016 and purchased by Spotify in 2020 for $250 million. The network’s roster features more than 50 programs.
“It’s being reported that the Bill Simmons move to Netflix is a hugely positive thing, and I understand that why it would be reported that way,” Le Batard said. “I assure you, Bill Simmons is not happy about that. He’s an employee. He works for Spotify. They’ve done something to put his audience behind a paywall. He’s worked very hard to build that audience. He has an idea of what kind of damage that can do to an audience.”
Spotify Vice President and Head of Podcasts Roman Wasenmüller said in October that the partnership marked a new chapter for podcasting itself.
“Together with Netflix, we’re expanding discovery, helping creators reach new audiences and giving fans around the world the chance to experience the stories they love and uncover favorites they never expected. This offers more choice to creators and unlocks a completely new distribution opportunity.”
With the partnership, a selection of The Ringer’s podcasts will move behind a paywall for the first time. Le Batard, who founded Meadowlark Media after leaving ESPN Radio, compared Simmons’ situation to Major League Soccer’s controversial move. MLS moved games behind a paywall via Apple TV.
He emphasized that even the presence of a marquee star—like Lionel Messi in MLS—cannot entirely mitigate the audience friction caused by restricted access.
“What Apple and MLS and Messi underestimated is they thought, well, if it’s Messi and Apple, surely there’s enough money there to make all of that work,” Le Batard said. “We have a championship being played here… The best player in soccer, the best player ever, is playing at the top of his game. He’s dominating the sport. And that can’t happen quietly.”
Le Batard’s remarks suggest that Spotify faces a challenge with The Ringer’s content moving to Netflix. The situation is similar to what MLS experienced with its Apple TV deal. Money may flow in, but putting content behind a subscription barrier can alienate the very fans who built its success.
By drawing parallels between sports and media, Le Batard framed Simmons’ potential frustration as loyalty to his audience. He stressed that outside observers may celebrate the deal as a major win. However, Simmons’ perspective as a content creator and employee may give him a more nuanced view
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