Bill Simmons is getting together with HBO. The former ESPNer and founding editor of Grantland.com has entered into a multi-year and multi-platform deal with HBO.
"We have been fans of Bill Simmons and his work for a very long time," Michael Lombardo, president of programming, said in a statement. "His intelligence, talent and insights are without precedent in the areas he covers. We could not be more thrilled for him to bring those talents to HBO and to become a signature voice at the network, spanning the sports and pop culture landscapes."
The deal begins in October and Simmons' talk show will begin in 2016. The series will air on HBO and across the cable channel's other platforms. Simmons will also have a production deal to produce content across platforms and consult with HBO Sports to develop new shows and documentary films.
"It's no secret that HBO is the single best place for creative people in the entire media landscape," Simmons said. "From the moment I started talking to Michael and Richard [Plepler, HBO chairman and CEO], it was hard to imagine being anywhere else."
Simmons is a New York Times bestselling author and Emmy-winning documentary film executive. He's known for his podcast and Grantland. He wrote the "Sports Guy" column for ESPN and then Grantland.
Simmons and ESPN parted ways in May. "I decided today that we are not going to renew Bill Simmons' contract," ESPN's John Skipper said. "We have been in negotiations and it was clear it was time to move on. ESPN's relationship with Bill has been mutually beneficial - he has produced great content for us for many years and ESPN has provided him many new opportunities to spread his wings."
Spread his wings he did.