Spotify Acquiring Simmons’ The Ringer
• Spotify has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire The Ringer, a leading creator of sports, entertainment and pop culture content, founded by Bill Simmons in 2016. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The Ringer will bring to Spotify its industry-leading sports and entertainment team, podcast catalog of more than 36 shows and website, further expanding Spotify’s content offering and audience reach.
“We look forward to putting the full power of Spotify behind The Ringer as they drive our global sports strategy,” said Dawn Ostroff, Chief Content Officer, Spotify. “As we set out to expand our sports and entertainment offerings, we wanted a best-in-class editorial team. Bill Simmons is one of the brightest minds in the game and he has successfully innovated as a writer and content creator across mediums and platforms. The Ringer’s proven track record of creating distinctive cultural content as well as discovering and developing top tier talent will make them a formidable asset for Spotify.”
Simmons remarked, “Spotify has the unique ability to truly supercharge both content and creator talent across genres. We spent the last few years building a world-class sports and pop culture multimedia digital company and believe Spotify can take us to another level. We couldn’t be more excited to unlock Spotify’s power of scale and discovery, introduce The Ringer to a new global audience and build the world’s flagship sports audio network. We’re joining one of the best media companies in the world. It’s an incredible day for us.”
The Ringer Podcast Network includes over 30 popular podcasts, including The Bill Simmons Podcast, The Rewatchables and The Ryen Russilio Podcast, to name just a few. The Ringer is also also home to the Sports Emmy-winning show NBA Desktop as well as Game of Thrones and Big Little Lies after-shows, Talk the Thrones and Big Little Live, as well as the Ringer Films and Ringer Books division. The transaction is expected to close in Q1 2020 and subject to customary closing conditions.
