Key Highlights
- Dave Portnoy questions the accuracy of viewership figures for FS1’s “Wake up Barstool” program.
- The founder believes the numbers are so small that they can be wildly inaccurate due to limited tracking devices in homes.
- Portnoy emphasizes the importance of social media and digital platform engagement, which is not captured by traditional ratings.
- The program aims to blend sports, pop culture, and Barstool’s signature humor on FS1.
Dave Portnoy Challenges Wake Up Barstool Viewership Figures
Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy has publicly expressed skepticism over the television viewership for FS1’s morning program “Wake up Barstool,” suggesting that reported numbers might not accurately reflect its true audience size. Speaking on his podcast, The Unnamed Show, Portnoy highlighted the challenges of interpreting traditional Nielsen ratings for niche programs like Wake Up Barstool.
“The numbers are so minuscule, like they can be just wildly inaccurate because they’re very small,” Portnoy stated, emphasizing that he is not questioning the reports but rather their reliability. “I’m only saying it’s very minuscule and not really accurate, as how many people have the tracking device in their houses.”
Portnoy’s View on Traditional Metrics vs. Digital Engagement
Despite his reservations about linear ratings, Portnoy acknowledged that Wake Up Barstool has been building a following across social media and digital platforms. “There’s definitely a lot of social media, and it… we started with nothing,” he remarked, indicating the show’s organic growth.
The program aims to blend sports, pop culture, and Barstool’s signature irreverent humor on FS1. Since its debut earlier this year, Wake Up Barstool has been experimenting with formats and content, leading Portnoy to admit that he is selective in his engagement with the program, focusing primarily on specific episodes.
“I’m only paying attention to Mondays,” Portnoy admitted during an interview, suggesting that the show is still in a formative phase. “We didn’t even promote it; we started with nothing. Hopefully, it’ll slowly build.” The host also noted that the program’s YouTube performance aligns with expectations, peaking on segments featuring him and co-host Dan “Big Cat” Katz.
Future Implications for Sports Media
The debate over Wake Up Barstool’s viewership highlights a broader tension in sports media. Conventional TV metrics often fail to capture the overall impact of niche programs, especially when it comes to the digital engagement of younger audiences. This situation underscores the evolving landscape of sports broadcasting and how traditional methods may not fully represent an audience’s true size or preferences.
As more content moves online, industry players like Dave Portnoy are reevaluating how they measure success.
While Wake Up Barstool’s numbers on FS1 might be low in traditional terms, its social media following suggests a dedicated fan base that may not be adequately represented by linear ratings alone.
“The numbers of people watching, like mine and Dan, go one, two, and then it goes down a little bit. It’s what you would think,” Portnoy explained, indicating his pragmatic approach to the program’s performance. “Hopefully it’ll slowly build.”
