The Ringer is a sports and pop culture website and podcast network, founded by sportswriterBill Simmons in 2016 and acquired bySpotify in 2020.[1][2][3]
The Ringer was launched in March 2016 by Bill Simmons, who brought along several editors who had previously worked with him onGrantland, anESPN-owned blog he operated from 2011 to 2015.[2] At launch, the Ringer had a staff of 43 and focused primarily on sports and pop culture as content areas, with a few writers also working on technology and politics.[2]HBO, the network on which Simmons hosted his weekly television programAny Given Wednesday one season in 2016, was an initial investor in the website.[2]
The website was previously published on theMedium platform.[4] In May 2017, The Ringer entered into an advertising and technology partnership withVox Media (owner ofSB Nation), under which Vox would handle advertising sales, and give the site access to its in-house Chorus publishing platform.[5]
Former Grantland writers who have since written for or worked forThe Ringer includeMark Titus,Shea Serrano, Ben Lindbergh, Robert Mays,Andy Greenwald, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan,Mallory Rubin,Juliet Litman, Craig Gaines, Bryan Curtis, David Shoemaker, Ryan O'Hanlon, Danny Chau, Jason Concepcion, Riley McAtee, Joe Fuentes, and Tate Frazier.[6]
In May 2018,The Ringer published a story byBen Detrick aboutBryan Colangelo,[7] then the GM of thePhiladelphia 76ers, and his apparent use of variousTwitter accounts to criticize players and defend himself. This led to Colangelo's resignation on June 7, 2018.[8]
In August 2019,The Ringer's editorial staff voted to unionize with theWriters Guild of America, East. The union was voluntarily recognized by the Ringer's management four days later.[9]
On February 5, 2020, subscription music streaming serviceSpotify announced it was acquiringThe Ringer for an estimated $195 million and an additional $50 million in performance-driven incentives.[10][3][11]
In April 2021, writers and producers ratified their first collective agreement withGimlet Media andThe Ringer. It would last 3 years, with minimum base salary of $57,000 for The Ringer staff. Absent was any provision over worker ownership of content created.[12][13]
Like the content on the website,The Ringer's podcast network covers both sports and pop culture.[14] The flagship podcast,The Bill Simmons Podcast, is an interview show hosted by Simmons, featuring other Ringer writers and podcast hosts as well as athletes, filmmakers, comedians, and pop culture figures.[14][non-primary source needed]
The Ringer premieredBinge Mode in 2017, a podcast that recappedGame of Thrones and theHarry Potter series.[18]
2020 marked the debut of theHigher Learning podcast withVan Lathan andRachel Lindsay. In the podcast, the two cohosts delve into topics including Black culture, politics, sports, and current events.[19][20] The podcast has been nominated for the Outstanding Society and Culture Podcast award at theNAACP Image Awards for their54th,55th, and56th editions.[21][22][23]
