Bill Simmons is still under contract with ESPN until September, but it appears two huge networks have no interest in the Boston Sports guy.
According to Sports Business Daily, both the heads of CBS and NBC have no interest in doing business with Simmons at this time.
At an early morning panel at the Paley Center in N.Y, Fox Sports President Eric Shanks said he has met Simmons “once or twice” over the past several years. As to whether Fox Sports has an interest in hiring Simmons, Shanks said, “We’ll have to wait and see.” On the same panel, NBC Sports Group Chair Mark Lazarus and CBS Sports Chair Sean McManus both said the popular columnist is not part of their plans right now. Lazarus: “I’ve never met the man. We don’t have a reason to do business right now.” McManus: “I would agree with Mark.”
It looks like the balls in Fox Sports court, even though Simmons could still go the independent route, get private investors the way Glenn Beck did, and flourish from there.
Turner Sports, with TNT, TBS, HBO and CNN under their umbrella — could pounce as well.