Is The Barstool Pro Football Football Show A Success Or Failure?
The Barstool Pro Football Football Show features a strong lineup by Kayce Smith, Dave Portnoy, Big Cat, and Deion Sanders. On paper, it should be a successful show. On the proverbial field, not so much. Should we define this Barstool production as a success or failure? Maybe both?
Anything that Portnoy, Big Cat, and Deion do is going to have a baseline of viewers. If you go on YouTube, you can clearly see people are watching the show and it obviously has more viewers than the new fantasy football show they’re doing that has almost no effort put into it. Overall, Kayce does a really good job hosting whatever she does too.
However, something isn’t working here and it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure it out. There is a clear drop-off in viewership between the Pro Football Football Show and anything else Portnoy or Big Cat does. People love the Pick Em Pod. Those same people love Barstool Sports Advisors. Both of those shows have something the PFFS does not.
Love them or hate them, Rico Bosco and Stu Feiner get asses in seats. They’re crazy, entertaining, and a hell of a lot of fun to watch. When Rico or Stu says something outlandish, it comes across as funny. When Deion gives an outlandish football opinion, it comes across as maybe this guy doesn’t actually know football…
Don’t get me wrong, I like Deion. I’ve referenced so many of the things he has said in the past covering the combine. He’s not great on this show and the viewership clearly shows it. It’s not all Deion’s fault but it’s the culmination of a lot of things.
Portnoy and Big Cat work better with a crazy third wheel. The PFFS does not include spreads and it comes across as a big gambling company trying to appease a big hire because the big hire doesn’t understand gambling. Portnoy and Big Cat are already spread too thin so by the time the PFFS comes out, it’s overdone and regurgitated information. Deion also is no longer in studio which hurts production value.
Without trying, the Barstool Pro Football Football Show has a very cut of the mill ESPN feel to it. I’m not sure it’s sustainable. If nothing else, why not get a pannel on there to replace Big Cat and Portnoy on that show. They’re spread too thin as it is and it presents a group opportunity to create other stars.
Is this show a success or failure? Maybe both? Time will tell what happens here but relying on Caleb to create something weird with the Sundae Conversation only gets a show so far.
