Former FOX Sports commentator Jason Whitlock believes traditional television executives often overestimate the value of internet fame when translating digital stars to mainstream TV. Referencing the recent Barstool Sports partnership with FOX Sports on his Fearless with Jason Whitlock podcast, the former FOX host attempted to explain why television companies are making mistakes by trusting brands that work well with a digital audience first.
“I’m not saying this as a diss of FOX Sports or Dave Portnoy,” Whitlock said. “I’m saying it as the reality. What a lot of these television executives are going to have to wrap their brains around is that the internet and YouTube… it’s not the same as mainstream TV. Just because something works on the internet doesn’t mean it’s going to work on mainstream TV.”
Whitlock mentioned the reported audience figures for the new Wake Up Barstool show on FS1. While the program remains less than a month old, Whitlock said the numbers should show proof that there are simple expectations for a traditional television product.
“There’s a level of professionalism. There’s a level of conversation that people expect when you go to mainstream TV,” he said. “On the internet, profanity and ignorance rule. It’s literally people telling me all the time, ‘Man, I wish you cursed more often.’ That’s what people want from the internet. The analogy I use: the internet prefers pornography. Mainstream television prefers R-rated content.”
Whitlock highlighted the contrast between digital stars like Dave Portnoy and Pat McAfee, whose internet appeal far exceeds their television traction in viewership.
“Dave Portnoy is a pornographer—and I say that not to disparage him,” said Whitlock. “Pat McAfee, there’s a reason why he’s having incredible internet success, but his television ratings are pretty flat and stale. There’s a difference between the two disciplines.”
According to Whitlock, Portnoy’s persona is a poor fit for traditional sports broadcasting.
“I’m going to say he’s Ron Jeremy, and a lot of people know that name, but they don’t want to see him on mainstream TV,” Whitlock said. “From the gambling to the profanity, his whole persona—it’s a bit trashy in a way that’s too trashy for mainstream TV. Fox Sports has made a mistake here, and their bet is—and the bet of a lot of mainstream TV—and they’re all wrong. This is why many of them are losing traction.”
Portnoy to his credit called the early viewership numbers for Wake Up Barstool “awful” on a recent episode of The Unnamed Show podcast. Despite the figures, Portnoy added that expectations for a quick breakthrough may be unrealistic. Given the program’s limited promotion ahead of the show’s launch.
“I don’t know what to expect. I think they want a lot of online, and I don’t know what they were before. It wasn’t like we had some gigantic promo. We just kind of did it,” he said, highlighting the show’s reliance on organic growth rather than traditional marketing efforts.
Portnoy has not responded to Whitlock’s criticism of the program or his persona.
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