#130: Russillo vs. Simmons: Who Won the Break-Up?

About this episode

The episode discusses the implications of Ryen Russillo's departure from Bill Simmons and The Ringer, exploring various angles of their professional relationship and future prospects.

Welcome to Episode #130! We bring on recurring guest Chris (#93, #95, #100) to cover all the angles of Ryen Russillo leaving Bill Simmons & The Ringer. We first hit on what we think Russillo should do at Barstool, including utilizing the talent there and adding some variety into his show; so far we're modestly disappointed he seems to be doing the exact same podcast. What will his new company look like - will he hire people and develop more talent? We next get into which side needed eachother more and which side has more to prove. Can Russillo truly be a #1 guy? How much was his weekly Bill podcast contributing to his popularity? How does Bill replace Russillo, especially on Sunday nights? Can Bill use Russillo's cap space to better fill out The Ringer's depth? We next give our theories on why Russillo left: was it money, IP, Zach Lowe, or Ryen getting tired of Bill? And was the split acrimonious? Why haven’t either of them mentioned it yet; when's the next time (if ever) they'll pod together? Was Ryen leaving more of a Bill or Spotify decision? We finish up assessing how, in the future, we'll judge which side truly won the break-up. Enjoy!

People in this episode

Hosts: Ryen Russillo, Bill Simmons

Guest: Chris

Topics covered

• Ryen Russillo
• Bill Simmons
• podcast break-up
• Barstool
• The Ringer
• media talent
• podcast popularity

Keywords

• Ryen Russillo
• Bill Simmons
• Barstool
• The Ringer
• podcast break-up
• media talent
• Zach Lowe
• Spotify

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Barstool, The Ringer, Spotify

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• #137: The Chanch Bros Return for a Victory Lap on Zach Lowe and the NBA's Issues; Why is the League Becoming Less Cool? Plus, Klosterman-Simmons Pods in Nadir Canyon · May 5, 2026 · 1h 39m
• #136: Russillo vs. Lowe NBA Sundays — Why Do We Already Miss Ryen & How to Fix Lowe & Bill; Plus, Bill's Unique Cultural Critique Methods, Re-Apex Content Strategy Shift & Ringer Talent Assessments · February 25, 2026 · 2h 11m
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