The world of professional wrestling has been built on the success of the work for generations. The concept is simple. Deceive the audience in order to elicit a desired response. That deception can range from an injury that swerves a long-term storyline to “writing off” a key figure, only for their return to become more impactful within the narrative. It’s often difficult to determine what’s real and what’s not, both in professional wrestling and at Barstool Sports. That’s not a shoot, by the way.
The digital content giant is no longer the renegade shock-and-awe operation it once was. Today, the company operates as a major business, collecting checks from Netflix and partnering with network television. Attention for attention’s sake is no longer the objective. Expansion and corporate alignment now drive the strategy.
With the New England Patriots back in the Super Bowl, Dave Portnoy has once again flooded social media feeds. He’s a sharp businessman who understands how to generate headlines in unconventional ways. Using fanboy bravado to fuel business interests has long been his specialty. So when Portnoy recently asked on social media whether Barstool’s ban from official NFL events had ended, it raised an eyebrow. Much like The Rock sizing up an opponent, the moment invited one simple question: was this a work all along?
It had been several years since the Patriots last appeared on the Super Bowl stage. In 2019, Tom Brady led his team to one of the most memorable comebacks of the modern era. Still, the story extended far beyond the field. Barstool’s influence among Patriots fans and its relationship with ownership helped generate headlines that lived well beyond the final whistle.
Barstool’s founder had already established a reputation for spectacle. In 2015, he was arrested after handcuffing himself to the front desk at NFL headquarters during a sit-in protesting the league’s punishment of Brady in the Deflategate scandal.
That moment ignited a run of attention-grabbing stunts as Barstool leaned into owning the moment. It echoed a time when sports radio stations thrived on similar tactics, back when the format held greater cultural weight with fans.
Merchandise featuring Roger Goodell’s face with a clown nose flew off the shelves. Barstool personalities joined league conference calls. Headlines, likes, shares, and engagement ruled the strategy. Barstool executed it exceptionally well, and the brand grew into a national force.
In 2019, following the sit-in years prior and the league pulling credentials, PFT Commenter donning false credentials was escorted off the floor at NFL Opening Night. Shortly afterward, Dave Portnoy himself was escorted out of the Super Bowl, conveniently captured on video for mass consumption.
The timing felt almost too perfect. Someone was already in position to film the entire exchange, with Portnoy sporting a mustache and sunglasses inside the dome.
At the time, Barstool personalities being “banned” from Super Bowl-related events became a significant story. Yet since then, the company hasn’t slowed down. Barstool has continued to cover the NFL while attending the Super Bowl every year, building massive production hubs and churning out content at scale.
That’s what makes Portnoy’s recent question about whether the “ban” has ended so amusing. Was there ever truly a ban, or did it only matter when his team was involved that year? That’s the essence of content creation.
Over time, Barstool Sports has proven that access means little without execution. The credentials and proximity other outlets depend on for Super Bowl success have never been essential to Barstool’s model. They operate differently and have for quite some time.
Rather than chasing relevance, Barstool became the destination. The company grew its audience, revenue, and reach while creating its own events, podcast tapings, and watch parties. It leaned on the Super Bowl without relying on the NFL. Celebrities came to Barstool instead of the company chasing the stars of the weekend.
Today, Barstool Sports partners with FOX Sports. The NFL also maintains a major relationship with FOX Sports. Barstool partners with Netflix. The NFL does as well. You often see Barstool personalities attending NFL games each and every year since. Cheering on their favorite hometown teams from seats to suites for all to see.
So did anyone seriously believe a ban realistically existed for a rapidly emerging promotional engine driving NFL interest and hype? Could Barstool have been present at league events like any other sports media outlet over the past five years? It’s hard to argue otherwise.
This may stand as the single greatest work in the history of sports media, and I count myself among those who bought into it.
That’s the brilliance of the entire approach. In professional wrestling, the best work feels just believable enough to spark debate long after the bell rings. Barstool Sports has mastered that same craft within modern sports media.
Their blueprint wins, whether the controversy was real, exaggerated, or manufactured.
If a ban ever existed, it didn’t matter. If it never existed, it mattered even less. The narrative still drove attention, fueled conversation, and reinforced Barstool’s ability to thrive without permission, credentials, or traditional access.
That’s no longer rebellion. That’s leverage.
In an era where access is often mistaken for relevance, Barstool proved the opposite. The company didn’t need the NFL’s blessing to remain in the spotlight. It only needed a believable narrative, a willing audience, and the confidence to sell the work.
And like the best wrestling angles, the only thing that truly matters is this: it worked.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.
John Mamola is Barrett Media’s sports editor and daily sports columnist. He brings over two decades of experience (Chicago, Tampa/St Petersburg) in the broadcast industry with expertise in brand management, sales, promotions, producing, imaging, hosting, talent coaching, talent development, web development, social media strategy and design, video production, creative writing, partnership building, communication/networking with a long track record of growth and success. He is a five-time recognized top 20 program director in a major market via Barrett Medi’s Top 20 series and has been honored internally multiple times as station/brand of the year (Tampa, FL) and employee of the month (Tampa, FL) by iHeartMedia. Connect with John by email at John@BarrettMedia.com.
