Ryen Russillo Left ‘The Ringer’ To Launch His Popular Podcast on a Competing Network

For six years, Ryen Russillo consistently gave his unfiltered sports opinions on The Ringer. The website, which was founded by Bill Simmons in 2016 and acquired by Spotify in 2020, was the home of Ryen's podcast, The Ryen Russillo Podcast.

On his podcast, Ryen spoke to prominent members of the sports industry, from legendary players to the coaches who helped get them to where they are now. Fans also witnessed his growth as an interviewer and sports expert through the podcast. However, after dedicating six years of his life to the podcast network, Ryen decided to end his relationship with The Ringer to take a job with a competing network.

Here's what to know about the podcast host's exit.

News surrounding Ryen's exit from The Ringer surfaced in August 2025. According to Front Office Sports he was rumored to exit the show following six-year contract with The Ringer ending at the end of the month. The report also stated that Barstool Sports CEO Dave Portnoy were planning on investing in Ryen's digital company, allowing him to host The Ryen Russillo Show and other projects on the network. Initially, Dave all but confirmed that the deal between him and Ryen was happening.

"I will not confirm or deny this report," Dave said after reposting the Front Office Sports article on X (formerly Twitter). "But gun to head I’d probably confirm it."

Ryen also hinted that he was open to exploring other options for him and his brand, stating he was a "free agent" in the months leading to him eventually parting ways with Barstool.

"Professionally I have a bunch of great things, but there’s also a lot of professional uncertainty," he said of his future with The Ringer. "This is a different place for me - some of the other times I've done this I know exactly where I'm at."

After months of rumors, Ryen confirmed he officially joined the Barstool Sports family. According to Awful Announcing, in a video posted to social media, Russillo announced that The Ryen Russillo will launch on Nov. 3, 2025. However, according to the show's Instagram account, the show first aired on Barstool in October 2025. Ahead of the show's premiere, Ryen shared via X that the show had a new podcast feed and a YouTube page for fans to subscribe to.

Dave Portnoy shared with Sports Illustrated ahead of the show's launch that Ryen and the team wanted a fresh start for his new Barstool Sports venture. He said they intentionally didn't archive any of Ryen's previous podcast episodes from his time on The Ringer.

"He has a gigantic podcast," the sports CEO explained. "I think we're going to start over, like the feed. I don't think they're giving him the feed. Kind of a d---head move by Spotify, but by all accounts they could be d---heads if they're not giving it to him."