#55: Bill's Place in the Sports Media Landscape in 2023, and Why Hasn't The Ringer Embraced Proven Growth Tactics? Plus, How Do Younger Fans Consume Sports Today & Instant Reaction to the Knicks Trade

The r/BillSimmons Podcast

Welcome to Episode 55! We bring on Zach (@_zachblatter on Twitter) from The Strickland (@TheStrickland), a Knicks-focused podcast, to talk Bill, Russillo, sports media, podcasts and more.

The timing for this pod couldn't have been better given the RJ Barrett trade, so Zach gives his initial reaction and we discuss takes from Bill and KOC on the news.

Next we get into Zach's background with Bill, being a relatively new fan, and how Russillo has market corrected Bill for him, like many of our guests - including Ryen's Life Advice, the evolutionary Page 2 Simmons mailbag.

From there, we give Bill some free advice on what to do to grow The Ringer - if he's interested. Since Zach both is a brand manager for The Strickland (Knicks content) and a younger sports fan (early 20s), he has a variety of thoughts for how Bill and The Ringer can - but are not currently - capturing the attention of the younger sports fans. Unlike, for example, Bleacher Report or JJ Redick's podcast, Bill and The Ringer have not embraced new school ways to grow his media business, and we suspect that's hurting their performance.

We then discuss some interactions Zach/The Strickland have had with KOC and Bill himself, including the infamous Brunson clip where Bill hated on him but then called The Strickland's edit "disingenuous" (it wasn't) - just take the L Bill (https://twitter.com/BillSimmons/status/1626678191237783557)

Next we talk the upcoming NBA rights deal, including how the NBA should follow in the footsteps of the NFL doing a deal with YouTube, which leads into a conversation of how younger people watch sports these days. We finish up discussing Zach's take on KD including Bill's KD's ranking, and if Bill can land the plane on the Vince WWE documentary.

If you liked the pod, check out Zach and The Strickland on Twitter, and a big thank you to Zach for his graphic design for the show's new cover art - you can find the link to his work on his Twitter.