On Wednesday, HBO announced that sportswriter and founding editor of Grantland Bill Simmons would be joining the network.
The news comes a few months after ESPN, Simmons’ previous employer, refused to enter into a new contract with The Sports Guy.
According to an HBO press release, Simmons has entered a “major exclusive multi-year, multi platform agreement” which will include a weekly show that features “stories and guests from across the sports and cultural landscapes.”
However, Simmons won’t be relegated to simply being a television host. He will also produce a video podcast and he’ll consult with HBO Sports’ non-boxing-related programming. That means that Simmons could end up producing shows and documentaries similar to the 30 for 30 series that he helped create for ESPN.
A happy Simmons had this to say about the agreement:
“It’s no secret that HBO is the single best place for creative people in the entire media landscape,” Simmons said. “From the moment I started talking to Michael and Richard [Plepler, HBO chairman and CEO], it was hard to imagine being anywhere else.”
Basically, it sounds like HBO is getting the best of Simmons (his ability to produce some great documentaries and podcasts) without the unnecessarily long-winded mailbags and columns about the greatness of Boston sports. Sounds like a win-win for everyone involved.
