Barstool Sports was once at odds with ESPN, establishing itself as the anti-establishment outlet opposite the monolith that was the Worldwide Leader. Barstool regularly poked and prodded at ESPN, with their most pointed (and popular) effort in that regard being the Pardon My Take podcast with Dan Katz, aka “Big Cat,” and PFT Commenter.
The show started as over-the-top satire of the sports debate shows that had begun filling up ESPN’s schedule, with the name being a mashup of Pardon the Interruption and First Take. ESPN even went so far as to have its legal department send a letter to Barstool about the show’s name.
However, over the past year, there has been a detente of sorts between the two, with plenty of ESPN personalities popping up on PMT, PFT and Big Cat appearing on ESPN Radio shows, and most recently sideline reporter Julie Stewart-Binks announced she was joining Barstool while keeping her duties with ESPN. Despite all of those things, it’s still stunning to hear reports of a potential late-night television show version of Pardon My Take being in the works with ESPN.
According to The Ringer’s Bryan Curtis, multiple sources at ESPN and Barstool have told him a late-night ESPN2 show is being developed by the podcast stars, although a contract has yet to be finalized.
The hosts of the podcast Pardon My Take, Dan “Big Cat” Katz and PFT Commenter, are developing a late-night show for ESPN, according to sources inside and outside the network. The show is being developed by Embassy Row, the production company behind Men in Blazers and Garbage Time With Katie Nolan. ESPN declined to comment.
The contract for Big Cat and PFT hasn’t been finalized, according to a source. The show would air on ESPN2.
It’s quite the bombshell announcement, but one that isn’t a total surprise when considering how friendly the two sides have become in recent months. With ESPN signing Katie Nolan to a contract on Wednesday after her release from Fox Sports and a revamped day-time lineup coming in 2018, it’s clear the network is trying to take big swings at creating new shows and content across their TV and digital platforms.
As Curtis mentions, ESPN is realizing the impact of a changing sports media landscape and by bringing in the PMT boys as well as Nolan, they’re taking strides in merging their TV audience with the younger digital audience that both parties have become so popular with. If this comes to fruition, it will be very strange and also quite interesting to see how much free reign Big Cat and PFT are given to continue being themselves on ESPN.
