Hoots 1

Adryan Hoots

Professor Ballard

RC 1000-150

12 October 2023

BFFs Podcast

In the ever-evolving world of digital media and content creation, few platforms have the

ability to create authentic connections and bridge diverse communities quite like the BFFs

Podcast. The BFFs Podcast, featuring Dave Portnoy, the founder of Barstool Sports, and

co-founders Brianna Chickenfry and Josh Richards, is known for its unique qualities and

innovative use of Youtube. The channel is founded upon the belief that friendship knows no

boundaries. The BFFs Podcast has emerged as a dynamic field in the digital world. They offer

listeners, not only compelling content, but also a unique gateway to community outreach and

marketing. The BFFs Podcast is a unique channel that is taking over not only the podcasting

community, but also infiltrating the Youtube community as well.

Dave Portnoy, the host of BFFs Podcast, along with the founder of Barstool Sports has

created a brand that has become a significant force in the world of sports, entertainment, and

digital media. Barstool Sports began as a small newspaper that focused on sports and gambling.

Barstool Sports eventually transformed into a digital content platform that added a humorous

approach to sports commentary. After this transition, their content consisted of blogs, podcasts,

and videos. Over the years, Barstool Sports broadened their content offerings to include subjects

that touched bases beyond sports, such as pop culture, lifestyle, and comedy. They hired many

different bloggers that covered many ranges of topics, each blogger having their own styles.

Barstool Sports also became known for their different podcasts and Youtube channels that
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featured many different guests and hosts, and a variety of topics. Another way that Barstool

Sports reached out to different audiences is with their merchandise and apparel. Barstool’s

merchandise includes the use of inside jokes and references to appeal to their fanbases. Lastly,

Barstool Sports hosts live events, such as boxing matches, and their Barstool Sportsbook, which

allows users to gamble on sporting events. These channels, merchandise, blogs, and live events

have allowed Barstool Sports to interact with fans from all over the world and many different

interests. Barstool Sports content, most specifically video content, can be found on Youtube,

TikTok, Instagram, Spotify, and many other streaming services. Barstool’s blogs and live events

reach out to many sports fans. These events, blogs, and gambling contain content from many

sports, ranging from boxing to golf. Barstool Sports merchandise and video content may have the

largest amount of impact on their many different fanbases. For example, their merchandise

features items that consist of golf apparel to Taylor Swift references. Their podcasts specifically,

consist of an extremely wide range of topics that draw in fans from every community. They have

channels that feature topics that range from relationships, all the way to entrepreneurships. For

example, two of their most popular podcasts are Coach Prime and Call Her Daddy. These two

channels differ vastly, as Call Her Daddy is a channel that hosts content about relationships and

sex, whilst Coach Prime is a channel with content about the popular football coach, Deion

Sanders. Not only do Barstool’s channels incorporate vast topics, but their content is also

featured on many different platforms so it is available to viewers across the world. Not only do

Barstools' content of vast topics reach many different audiences, but the faces of Barstool may be

the reason for their success.

Dave Portnoy, the face and founder of Barstool Sports has contributed to a large number

of Barstool’s many fanbases. Portnoy’s unique approach, personality, and businessman attitude
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have been instrumental in the brands success with diversification. Dave Portnoy draws in

fanbases with his pizza reviews, social media engagement, and hosting video channels, such as

BFFs Podcast. Portnoy’s wide variety of content lures in all kinds of audiences, from pizza

connoisseurs to Jimmy Buffet fans. El Presidente, or Portnoy, does a fantastic job of interacting

with fans of all eclectics. His social media presence allows him to engage with fans, share

content, and offer insight into the Barstool brand. Dave is very outspoken, sharing his opinions,

personal experiences, and always speaks his mind. Because of this, he draws in fans who

appreciate his candid approach and find him extremely relatable. Portnoy’s social media and

Youtube/podcast presence dive deep into his many opinions, which sometimes may cause

controversy. Dave Portnoy is extremely outspoken about his love for Taylor Swift, pizza, and

Jimmy Buffet. He infiltrates almost every community by giving his opinions and advice on

almost any topic imaginable. Portnoy is a huge Taylor Swift stan and creates merch that

references her that allows barstool to reach the Swiftie fanbase, which consists of mainly

females. Portnoy’s outspokenness and involvement in the Swiftie fandom allows Barstool to

reach audiences from sports fans to Taylor Swift fans. Portnoy’s infiltration of the Taylor Swift

fan base allows him to market his company to all audiences. This gains his company viewers and

consumers of merchandise. Portnoy specifically engages with massive amounts of contrasting

audiences from his Youtube channel and podcast BFFs Podcast. In BFFs Podcast, Portnoy

creates an environment that allows friendships between vastly different beings.

In Portnoy’s podcast, BFFs, he collaborates with co-host’s Josh Richards and Brianna

ChickenFry. The two young influencers contribute to their own addition of audiences. Josh

Richards specifically brings in his own fanbase. His fanbase originates from an app called Tiktok

that featured his own dancing, skits, sports, story content, as well as guest features. Richard’s
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social media platforms bring in all kinds of audiences, ranging from girls who viewed him as a

heartthrob to males who were interested in his boxing career. Josh Richards hosts one of the most

well known and diverse Tiktok platforms within the entire app. He incorporates the use of trendy

appeals and guest appearances to reach as many users of the platform as possible and has drawn

in a large number of followers. Josh has used his Tiktok platform to build his own brand and

create his desired image. Josh collaborates with many other influencers to bring in viewers from

all over the world and relate to their interests. By incorporating content with other guests to his

own platforms, Josh is able to reach even more audiences. Guests that feature on Richard’s

platforms bring him more followers and audiences that have other interests. These new viewers

that guests bring Josh may have completely different feeds that they are shown. Therefore,

incorporating guests allows Josh to interact with guests he may have never been able to reach

without them. Josh Richard’s brings these diverse audiences and marketing tactics to his Youtube

and podcast channel, Bffs Pod. Josh Richards, not only interacts with his own fanbase but also

with his co-hosts fanbases. Josh Richards brings in completely different audiences than his

fellow hosts of BFFs Podcast. Not only do Josh Richards and Dave Portnoy bring in vastly

different audiences, but so does their co-host Brianna Chickenfry.

Brianna LaPlagia, most commonly known as Brianna Chickenfry is a popular influencer

in the Barstool community as well as on many other platforms. Brianna ChickenFry is the most

recent member of the BFFs Podcast channel. She started her influencer journey on Tiktok,

similar to how Josh Richards started his. Brianna’s platform originated on Tiktok and landed her

a job with Barstool Sports. Brianna’s popularity and growing fanbase caught the attention of

Barstool Sports, as they saw that she could bring in a new community of young viewers to the

company. Brianna Chickenfry’s platforms and social media outreach draws in many contrasting
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fans, primarily young females. Brianna creates content that is relatable to many different

viewers.