The college football season is underway, and Dave Portnoy’s venture into morning sports television has gotten off to a bumpy beginning.
The Barstool Sports founder, known for his bold personality and internet fame, recently launched his own daily Fox Sports show, Wake Up Barstool, while also joining the network’s Big Noon Kickoff.
But the numbers reveal a much quieter reception than expected.
Struggling to Find an Audience
In its first week on air, Wake Up Barstool struggled to draw viewers.
According to the TV Media Blog Substack, the show didn’t crack 20,000 linear viewers, with Wednesday and Thursday episodes drawing only 13,000 each.
The program airs from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. ET, putting it in direct competition with a busy morning schedule.
By comparison, Fox Sports’ established programs like The Herd and First Things First routinely pull in over 100,000 viewers daily, highlighting the challenge Portnoy faces in capturing a TV audience.
Digital Viewership Tells a Different Story
While the linear TV numbers are modest, Wake Up Barstool has found a stronger footing online.
The debut episode drew 88,000 viewers on YouTube, and the first four episodes averaged roughly 56,650 non-live viewers on the platform.
This suggests Portnoy’s audience may be more inclined to digital consumption than traditional television.
Explosive Debut on Big Noon Kickoff
Portnoy’s first appearance on Big Noon Kickoff could not have been more dramatic.
The Michigan alum immediately made waves by trolling Ohio State fans—singing Michigan’s fight song, mocking their jerseys as “toilet paper,” and even telling fans to “shut up” during his segment.
He also held up a shirt that read “Still Can’t Beat Michigan,” referencing Ohio State’s ongoing struggles against Michigan, and delivered a scathing on-air monologue aimed at the Buckeyes’ supporters.
The fiery entrance came amid rumors reported by Front Office Sports that Portnoy had been banned from Ohio State’s stadium, though the university later denied the claim, attributing the decision to Fox.
Controversy and Public Outcry
Shortly after the broadcast, Portnoy held an “emergency press conference,” calling out Ohio State in a five-and-a-half-minute tirade and accusing them of lying about the stadium restrictions.
Despite the drama, he announced that he would skip the upcoming weekend’s Big Noon Kickoff.
A High-Profile Partnership
Portnoy has been vocal about his excitement for his Fox Sports deal, which combines the reach of a national network with his distinct Barstool brand.
However, the rocky start of Wake Up Barstool shows that translating online fame into traditional morning TV viewership may be more challenging than expected.