Ryen Russillo, the longtime sports media personality, has officially joined Barstool Sports, signaling the next chapter in a career that has already spanned ESPN, The Ringer, and Spotify. Despite the move, Russillo said fans should expect little change in his content, with the same podcast format and voice they have come to know.
Speaking on Pardon My Take, Russillo addressed the challenges he faced with his previous podcast distribution, particularly issues around Spotify feeds.
“The feed issue is a big reason,” he said. “When you go to market and luckily you guys never really have to because you’re so powerful. When you start walking into these meetings and it’s like, ‘Where’s your feed?’ and I don’t have my feed, it’s massive. It’s a massive, massive difference. So luckily this time around, any new place I was talking to was like, ‘Okay, we can figure out a way to get you your feed after a certain amount of time.’”
Russillo revealed the details earlier this month on his current platform. Noting that the upcoming show will feature a new podcast feed and YouTube channel, encouraging listeners to subscribe ahead of the debut.
“The new podcast starts November 3. We need you to subscribe to this new feed. None of that stuff is coming with me,” Russillo said earlier this month referencing his podcast will remain property of Spotify. Emphasizing that fans will need to make the switch to follow the show’s next iteration.
The new venture will see longtime collaborators Steve Ceruti and Kyle Crichton joining Russillo as part of the transition. Both have worked closely with him in past roles. Helping shape the tone, production, and chemistry that have defined Russillo’s work since his days with ESPN and The Ringer.
Ceruti is a senior podcast manager at The Ringer. He was previously involved in The Bill Simmons Podcast and was a co-host of The Ringer Soccer Show. Crichton also previously produced The Bill Simmons Podcast and is Simmons’ nephew.
Russillo also reflected on social media’s reaction to his move. He noted that online responses have mirrored those he received during previous career transitions.
“The last week has been a bit of a reminder,” he said, “When I left ESPN and went to The Ringer and then Spotify, it was like the second I started putting out content, here we go, now that he’s not at ESPN anymore. I’m literally the exact same person. And so it was a nice little reminder seven years later that it’s happening all over again. Like you say one nice thing about Sabrina Carpenter and it’s like, ‘Oh, he fits in perfect with Portoy.’ Weirdo.”
Despite the attention surrounding his move, Russillo emphasized continuity in his podcasting approach.
“To me, it’s the exact same show. It’s three days a week. We may change up some of the release times a little bit, because maybe some of those later Friday ones that were coming out kind of late—especially if it’s hitting the East Coast at 5:00 in the afternoon on a Friday—isn’t the optimum time to drop new stuff. But yeah, probably a little bit more active on a couple other things. But I don’t—I mean, I’ve been doing this a long time. I don’t know. If anything, it’d be exhausting to try to be somebody different.”
The move to Barstool Sports comes at a time when Russillo has cultivated a loyal audience that spans multiple platforms. The decision to join Barstool, a media company known for blending sports coverage with pop culture commentary, allows him to maintain creative control while potentially reaching new listeners.
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