UPDATE (1/20/20): Front Office Sports has reported that Bill Simmons is seeking $200 million from Spotify technology or any other potential company in exchange for The Ringer. Further reports suggest that The Ringer is currently worth between $90 and $100 million. Neither Simmons nor Spotify have publicly commented on this matter.
Sources have told The Hollywood Reporter and Wall Street Journal that Spotify is reportedly interested in acquiring The Ringer.
Led by former ESPN personality Bill Simmons, The Ringer is a sports and culture hub that has been home to talent such as Tyler Tynes, Rembert Browne and many others. Since its creation in 2016, Simmons has grown the company to become a juggernaut that has formed partnerships with HBO to create unscripted content. Furthermore, The Ringer has built its name in part because of its expansive podcasting network. The Ringer Podcast network currently has more than thirty shows with reportedly 100 million monthly downloads. Recently, The Ringer signed on to create an exclusive podcast for Spotify called The Ringer’s Hottest Takes.
Spotify has become increasingly interested in growing its podcasting platform. Over the past few years, the streaming service has invested in Gimlet Media, Parcast and Anchor. They also have exclusive agreements with podcast hosts such as Jemele Hill and Joe Budden.
Neither Simmons nor Spotify has commented on these most recent reports.
