ESPN signs Bussin’ With The Boys, continues to hate Barstool Sports until it actually benefits them

Starting Sept. 4, former NFL players Taylor Lewan and Will Compton (aka Bussin’ With The Boys) will officially be popping up across ESPN platforms this football season, mostly on Get Up.

On the surface, no big deal. Two ex-players turned podcasters cashing in on their brand.

Good for them.

Step back and look at the bigger picture, and it’s hilarious.

ESPN is officially Barstool Jr. https://t.co/dvMHN7aQUC

— Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) August 28, 2025

ESPN’s Whole Thing Is “We Hate Barstool” Until They Don’t

ESPN can’t stop pretending they’re “above” Barstool Sports, while quietly scooping up every ex-Barstool personality and idea they can get their hands on.

Remember Barstool Van Talk? Cancelled after one episode because ESPN execs clutched their pearls and wanted nothing to do with Barstool.

Fast forward a few years and what do we have?

• Pat McAfee, the biggest Barstool-to-mainstream crossover, front and center on ESPN.
• Bussin’ With The Boys, another Barstool creation, locked in for weekly TV spots.

But sure, ESPN would never be Barstool Junior. Right. Definitely. Okay.

ESPN isn’t bringing in Lewan and Compton for deep analysis. They already have analysts. This is about content, clicks, and entertainment.

ESPN wants the chaos of Barstool Sports without admitting they need it. It’s the same playbook: guys hanging out, chopping it up, saying the stuff “traditional” media avoids.

It’s not a coincidence. It’s a business model on that Dave Portnoy and Barstool Sports actually built while the world criticized them every step of the way.

This is it exactly. I’ve lost count the amount of times ESPN has both publicly and privately thumbed their noses at us over the years while very clearly trying to become like us. https://t.co/k0t60hbfJ7

— Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) August 28, 2025

Barstool is turning into ESPN’s Farm System

That’s the irony here. Barstool Sports survives long enough to watch ESPN turn into a bad imitation of Barstool. For years ESPN dismissed them as toxic, low-brow, whatever you want to call it.

Now? They’re basically treating Barstool like a farm system: develop a hit podcast, build an audience, then ESPN comes calling to slap its logo on it.

Lewan and Compton are just the latest example. And you know what? Good for them. They built something, they grew it, and now they’re cashing checks.

That’s the dream For ESPN however, it’s one giant contradiction. They want to cancel Barstool on one hand, then copy Barstool Sports with the other.

The Dress Up Isn’t Working Anymore

ESPN can dress it up however they want, but the truth is simple: they crave Barstool content. They just don’t want the Barstool name attached to it. Mockery really is the sincerest form of flattery.

Join The Chase