Nearly three years to the day since since HBO first announced it was hiring Bill Simmons, the network has revealed its decision to keep the Sports Guy on board for another few years.
The Hollywood Reporter has the scoop, which says that Simmons and HBO have agreed to a new deal that will see Simmons “creating and producing sports-themed content across the portfolio.”
Simmons first joined HBO way back in the latter half of 2015, and since then his work for the network has been comprised of a weekly talk show that was cancelled after less than six months on the air, a documentary about Andre the Giant that HBO says was the most-viewed sports documentary in the network’s history, and an NBA Finals special that aired 11 days after the Finals had concluded.
Simmons had this to say to THR:
“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,” says 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.”
Well, at least he knows he’s lucky.