Bill Simmons Re-Ups With HBO For More Prestige Sports Content

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Although Bill Simmons’ weekly TV show, Any Given Sunday, was mostly a failure, he did head a few solid projects with HBO. Of the three that come to mind, his Andre The Giant documentary is tops, followed by his NBA Finals doc and his Game of Thrones after-show. Had the 2018 NBA Finals not ended in a 4-0 sweep by Golden State, that project, no doubt, would have gotten more attention. So having said that, Simmons and HBO now have plans for more content. On Tuesday, it was announced that the two inked a contract extension.

Per 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,” said Simmons, effusive in his praise as he continued: “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.”

Since Simmons was key in the development of ESPN’s popular 30 for 30 documentary series, I’d bet that this extension will lead to more amazing sports documentaries.

In the meantime, Simmons currently runs The Ringer, a wildly successful sports and pop-culture website, and has one of the best podcasts in any genre, The Bill Simmons Podcast.