Bill Simmons is getting his own HBO show
Bill Simmons has given the pop culture landscape a lot. I admit that, acknowledge it. And move on from it. ‘Cause he’s also the maestro of bloviating, crappy pop culture references, and other nonsense. So I don’t really give a fuck about him moving to HBO on a personal level, but it’s interesting as far as Pop Culture Developments go.
HBO announced today that it has signed an “exclusive, multi-year, multi-platform agreement” with longtime ESPN sports commentator Bill Simmons, a deal that includes a weekly series that will premiere next year. In a press release, HBO said that it will be “Simmons’ exclusive television home” and that he’ll work closely with the president of HBO Sports on “non-boxing-related programming.” (That wording might seem bizarre, and it is, but it’s there because boxing is a separate, jealously guarded fiefdom within HBO’s corporate structure.)
Simmons was fired from ESPN earlier this year with a cryptic statement from network president John Skipper, which cited nothing more than a breakdown in “negotiations” as the reason behind firing the Grantland editor-in-chief. In fact, the likely cause was Simmons’ periodic tendency to criticize fellow ESPN talent and the leagues who have lucrative broadcast partnerships with the network. Simmons’ sudden (although not altogether surprising) dismissal came just a day after he criticized Roger Goodell’s handling of the “Deflategate” scandal on a radio show hosted by former ESPN anchor Dan Patrick. Simmons had previously been suspended for anti-NFL remarks, and his invective conflicted with ESPN’s modern role as the baby bird who eagerly gobbles down whatever Roger Goodell chooses to vomit that day.
HBO’s press release doesn’t get into the details of Simmons’ yet-untitled show beyond claiming that it will be “topical and spontaneous,” which can be taken as code for “We’re not going to fire him if he makes cutting remarks about sports people, because that is his job.” The contract also includes a production deal for Simmons “to produce content and assets for the network and its digital platforms, delivering video podcasts and features.” At ESPN, Simmons was a driving force behind the launch of 30 For 30, the network’s acclaimed documentary series on which he served as an executive producer. It’s safe to assume Simmons would like to undertake similar highbrow work at HBO, along with some version of his B.S. Report podcast.