Barstool Sports, Inc.

What does Barstool Sports own?

Barstool Sports owns its media website, the Pardon My Take podcast and roughly 20 other shows, the Rough N Rowdy boxing promotion, merchandise operations, and related content and event properties.

Is Barstool Sports publicly traded?

No. Barstool is a private company owned entirely by founder Dave Portnoy. It has never listed shares publicly and Portnoy has stated it is not for sale.

Who founded Barstool Sports?

Dave Portnoy founded Barstool Sports in 2003 as a free newspaper in Milton, Massachusetts, distributing it at Boston-area train stations. He remains sole owner and public face of the company.

Where is Barstool Sports headquartered?

Barstool Sports is headquartered in Milton, Massachusetts, having returned to the Boston area in 2025 after several years operating from New York City during the Penn Entertainment ownership period.

How many podcasts does Barstool have?

Barstool operates approximately 20 podcasts across sports and entertainment categories, anchored by Pardon My Take, which consistently ranks among the top sports podcasts in the United States.

Who owns Barstool Sports?

Dave Portnoy owns 100 percent of Barstool Sports. He repurchased the entire company from Penn Entertainment for $1 in August 2023 after the casino operator pivoted to ESPN Bet.

Dave Portnoy founded Barstool Sports in 2003 as a free gambling and sports newspaper distributed at Boston-area train stations. The print operation transitioned online in 2007, and the site developed a loyal male-skewing audience through a mix of sports coverage, opinionated commentary, and the "one bite" pizza review series that made Portnoy a national figure.

The company moved to New York City in 2016 and expanded into podcasts, building Pardon My Take into one of the top sports shows in the country. Penn Entertainment acquired a 36 percent stake for $163 million in January 2020 and completed the purchase of the remainder in February 2023 for an additional $388 million, valuing the company at more than $550 million at that stage.

The Penn era lasted months. When Penn pivoted to a partnership with ESPN for its ESPN Bet sportsbook, it sold 100 percent of Barstool back to Portnoy for a nominal $1 in August 2023, accepting a loss of hundreds of millions to free itself of a brand it no longer needed. The unusual terms included non-compete restrictions on Portnoy's gambling ventures and a Penn right to half the proceeds of any future sale.

Portnoy regained control, moved the company back to Boston in 2025, and rebuilt operations around the core media, podcast, and merchandise businesses. The gambling restrictions expired, and he has been publicly noncommittal about future partnerships while maintaining that Barstool is not for sale.

As a private media company, Barstool holds no major ESG certifications and publishes no sustainability reporting. Its ethical posture is defined by its founder's public persona rather than institutional policy.

The more relevant dimension is content governance and workplace culture, areas where Barstool's reputation has been consistently controversial. The brand's identity is built on a deliberate rejection of corporate norms, and its public disputes with mainstream media, sports leagues, and advertisers are a feature rather than a bug of its positioning.

Barstool's controversies are extensive and central to its identity. The company and Portnoy have faced sustained criticism for content critics describe as sexist, racist, or promoting harassment, including a history of offensive blog posts that resurfaced periodically during its growth and the Penn acquisition period.

A 2019 investigation by Deadspin and subsequent reporting documented a workplace culture involving unpaid labor expectations, a non-disparagement agreement that restricted former employees, and Portnoy's public disputes with former staff. The National Labor Relations Board investigated the company over its treatment of unionizing employees at its former NYC headquarters, resulting in a settlement.

Portnoy's personal conduct generates recurring scrutiny, including a 2023 Insider investigation into alleged sexual encounters that he disputed as consensual and described as defamatory. The company's relationship with advertisers has suffered periodically over its content, though its audience loyalty has consistently attracted sponsors willing to accept the controversy.