Bill Simmons To Host Show On HBO

The ousted ESPN personality will join HBO, the network announced Wednesday.

Bill Simmons will join HBO, where he will host a weekly television show beginning in 2016.

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Simmons' contract with HBO begins October 1, HBO confirmed to BuzzFeed News.

Along with a weekly talk show, which HBO says will be "topical and spontaneous," Simmons will also have access to produce "content and assets" for HBO's online presence. This will include podcasts, which have become an anchor of Simmons's career.

In a release, Simmons said "it's no secret that HBO is the single best place for creative people in the entire media landscape."

Since Simmons was let go from ESPN, the network has let go of Keith Olbermann and lost ESPN radio host Colin Cowherd to Fox Sports. Reports of cost-cutting directives from Disney, ESPN's parent's company, have swelled in recent weeks after the three big-name departures. And the fate of Grantland, the sports and culture site started under Simmons, is still unclear. ESPN has stated that they are committed to Grantland without Simmons.

In the release, HBO Programming president Michael Lombardo said Simmons' "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."