The larger-than-life success of his Andre The Giant documentary may have saved Bill Simmons’ spot at HBO Sports.
Simmons, whose Any Given Wednesday talk show was canceled after just 17 of 37 ordered episodes, hit the jackpot at HBO when his April documentary became the most-watched doc in HBO Sports history with nearly seven million viewers across the network’s platforms.
A special on the NBA Finals that he did following the success of that documentary didn’t do as well, but HBO apparently feels confident enough in Simmons to keep him aboard.
The exact terms of the new deal aren’t known, but it will involve Simmons “creating and producing sports-themed content across the portfolio,” according to The Hollywood Reporter.
“I’m thrilled to keep going with the HBO family and can’t wait to get started on a couple of the more ambitious projects we’ve hatched,” Simmons told THR: “I witnessed it firsthand with our Andre doc — when you create something unique for HBO, they’ve built so much trust and equity in their audience over the years that it’s always going to be seen. Every single time. If it’s good and it’s on HBO, it will stand out. Even though we have more entertainment choices than ever right now, HBO still cuts through in an incredibly precise, almost unassailable way — and they work better with creatives than anyone, period. I am lucky to work with them and I know it.”
Simmons’ website, The Ringer, had its highest-trafficked month ever with over 40 million page views and close to 10 million unique visitors in June.
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