Bill Simmons, the popular radio host and Grantland creator will be joining forces with HBO, the network announced Wednesday, according to John Koblin of the New York Times.
Per Koblin, Simmons' contract with HBO starts in October. HBO will be the "exclusive television home" for Mr. Simmons and he will be spearheading a talk show that will debut in 2016. He will also have a production deal with HBO and will do video podcasts, similar to the ones he did with ESPN.
"It's no secret that HBO is the single best place for creative people in the entire media landscape." Simmons said in a statement, adding that, "it was hard to imagine being anywhere else."
Simmons is part of an ever-growing list of talent walking out the door at ESPN. It was announced recently that Keith Olbermann would be parting ways with the Worldwide Leader for the second time. Then it was revealed that Colin Cowherd, another popular ESPN Radio persona, will be leaving ESPN after his deal runs out.
Cowherd is said to be finalizing a contract with Fox Sports.
Simmons especially seems to signify the changing times at ESPN. While in Bristol, Simmons helped create the "30 for 30" sports documentary series and also created and was the editor for the sports-entertainment site Grantland.
"We have been fans of Bill Simmons and his work for a very long time," said HBO's president of programming, Michael Lombardo. "His intelligence, talent and insights are without precedent in the areas he covers. We could not be more thrilled for him to bring those talents to HBO and to become a signature voice at the network, spanning the sports and pop culture landscapes."
