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Channels with Peter Kafka

The Ringer editor Sean Fennessey on ending Grantland, starting again

Channels with Peter Kafka

Vox Media Podcast Network

Business News, News, Tv & Film, Technology

4.4585 Ratings

🗓️ 9 June 2016

⏱️ 34 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Sean Fennessey, the editor in chief of Bill Simmons's new site The Ringer, talks with Recode's Peter Kafka about the decisions that go into launching a media business in 2016. Fennessey reflects on the slow death of Grantland, the site Simmons launched under ESPN in 2011, and what the staff is trying to do differently this time. Among the many challenges facing The Ringer: Balancing fun with legitimacy, figuring out an online video strategy and trying not to sound too drunk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

This is Recode Media with Peter Kafka. That's me. It's powered by digital media. Today's sponsor is SoFi, a new kind of finance company that offers student loan refinancing at low rates. SoFi members save on average $19,000. So much money. They can even save more through an employer partner program. See how SOFi can help you at SOFI.com.

0:21.8

It's S-O-F-I.com.

0:23.6

Terms and conditions apply at SOFi.com slash legal.

0:27.4

Today is also sponsored by Mack Weldon,

0:29.2

and you know what Mac Weldon brings you.

0:30.9

They bring you awesome goodies and socks,

0:32.4

and I'm wearing the socks right now.

0:34.0

Sean Fennacy, can you see my socks?

0:35.6

Gorgeous.

0:36.2

They're gorgeous.

0:37.0

They feel great. They smell great because they're made of naturally

0:40.3

anti-microbial fiber. If for some reason you don't like these socks, you can hang on to them for free,

0:45.3

no questions, ask. You get a 20% discount if you go to Mac Weldon and type in the offer code recode.

0:50.3

Go to macwellden.com. You get 20% off your order. That helps me with the offer code recode macwellden.

1:12.2

com. Sean Fantasy, I was bragging about my pre-roll skills. I kind of screwed up. Sorry. It was okay. You did okay. You know, I'm nervous? Tell me. I'm here at Ringer offices. That's right. Welcome. I'm at podcast Nirvana, the Bill Simmons podcast empire.

1:13.3

Is that how you describe it?

1:13.6

Yeah.

1:14.8

Do you think other people feel that way?

1:46.5

Yeah. Do you think other people feel that way? Yeah. I was just talking to someone from a big fancy podcast company that we're in awe of the Bill Simmons podcast empire. Wow. That's, uh, I don't know, I don't know if it's flattering for me. I don't appear on very many podcasts, but it's nice. Thanks for having me. Thanks for letting me sit in your office. Sean Fentasy, you just launched the ringer.com officially. So this is two days after you launched. By the time people hear, it'll be a few more days. How to go? It was great. Is it scary to say it was great? I mean, it went very well. I think that there are a lot of things that can go wrong at a launch,

2:02.7

and very few of them went wrong for us, which is nice. I think we sort of feel modest about it, but anytime the site doesn't crash is a victory at a digital launch and we didn't crash, feel good about the stories that we put out in the world. We really took our time with the launch. I mean, it was kind of an eight-month runway from when we decided to do this as a company to putting it out in the world and give us an opportunity to build in a lot of buffers there. I think you've given that speech before. Have I? Yeah, it sounded practiced. Let's back up. Let's explain to the handful people who don't know what the ringer is. This is Bill Simmons and Company's new website, sort of son of Grantland is the way I describe it in shorthand. Yeah, I mean, I hope not son. Maybe like, Grantland sequel? Distant cousin that shares genes. I'm reluctant to say sequel, you know, because I think it does a disservice to a lot of

2:36.0

the people that work here now. And I want to be sensitive to the new employees. You know, it's true

2:40.9

that the first four employees that joined up with Bill were Grantlanders and were a big part of

...

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