Ad Disclosure
One and done? ESPN cancels ‘Barstool Van Talk’ after only one episode
By Adam Spencer
Published:
ESPN raised eyebrows recently when it decided to partner with Barstool Sports on a late-night program called “Barstool Van Talk.”
Hosted by PFT Commenter and Barstool Big Cat, the show has already been canceled in a surprising move announced by ESPN on Monday.
According to a statement from ESPN president John Skipper, the decision to cancel the show after only one episode was due to the fact that the network couldn’t distance itself from the actual Barstool brand and its content:
Statement from ESPN President John Skipper about Barstool Van Talk: pic.twitter.com/ysgSKDvmjx
— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) October 23, 2017
Barstool responded with a statement of its own:
A statement on today's news: pic.twitter.com/JyaxG4l5kO
— Pardon My Take (@PardonMyTake) October 23, 2017
What happens next for PFT Commenter and Big Cat remains to be seen, but they’ll no longer host the ESPN show.
Many ESPN employees, including Sam Ponder, had major concerns about partnering with Barstool, and voiced those concerns on social media.
It appears those concerns were heard, as the show has been canceled after only one episode, which aired last week.
Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.
