ESPN Media Zone reports that Bill Barnwell has signed a new multi-year extension to remain with ESPN. As part of his new deal, Barnwell will continue writing his popular NFL column for ESPN.com. On Monday, he launched a new flagship ESPN Audio podcast, The Bill Barnwell Show (episode one). He will also contribute to ESPN Radio and television and have the opportunity to expand into other sports.
Barnwell joined Grantland in 2011 and has been with ESPN since November. His ESPN.com NFL columns, which combine quantitative and qualitative analysis to dig deeper into how teams win games and how players impact them, rank among the site’s most popular features.
“During his time with both Grantland and ESPN, Bill has proven to be a thoughtful and creative signature voice with an ever-increasing following. His work makes fans smarter about football, and we are committed to finding even more opportunities for Bill to elevate our coverage of the NFL and other sports,” said Chad Millman, Vice President & Editorial Director, Domestic Digital Content, ESPN.
Added Barnwell: “I’m thankful for the opportunity to continue working with the editorial staff at ESPN, and excited to launch a new sports podcast in the months to come.”
Jason Barrett is the Founder and CEO of Barrett Media. The company launched in September 2015 and has provided consulting services to America’s top audio and video brands, while simultaneously covering the media industry at BarrettMedia.com, becoming a daily destination for media professionals. Prior to Barrett Media, Jason built and programmed 95.7 The Game in San Francisco, and 101 ESPN in St. Louis. He was also the first sports programmer for SportsTalk 950 in Philadelphia, which later became 97.5 The Fanatic. Barrett also led 590 The Fan KFNS in St. Louis, and ESPN 1340/1390 in Poughkeepsie, NY, and worked on-air and behind the scenes at 101.5 WPDH, WTBQ 1110AM, and WPYX 106.5. He also spent two years at ESPN Radio in Bristol, CT producing ‘The Dan Patrick Show’ and ‘GameNight’. JB can be reached on Twitter @SportsRadioPD or by email at Jason@BarrettMedia.com.