Barstool Sports laid off nearly 25% of its staff in late August 2023, resulting in about 100 job losses out of approximately 430 employees

. The layoffs followed founder Dave Portnoy's re-acquisition of the company from Penn Entertainment for $1, after Barstool had suffered significant financial losses, including a $16.1 million net loss in the first half of 2023

. Some specific individuals confirmed or reported to have been laid off include:

• Podcast host Will Burge, who joined Barstool in February 2022 and was based remotely in Cleveland

• Podcaster Troopz

• Influencer and YouTuber Expressions Oozing

• Collin Cooper Coleman, Michael Angelo Logan (@loganthegood), and Matt Fitzgerald have also been named by community sources

The layoffs appeared to focus partly on remote content creators, as Portnoy emphasized a return to Barstool's original "pirate ship" culture centered around in-office collaboration in New York

. CEO Erika Ayers Badan described the laid-off employees as "all-stars" and urged other companies to consider hiring them

. Portnoy stated the layoffs were purely financial and necessary to get Barstool back to breaking even, not due to poor performance by employees

. The company is also expanding in Chicago with a new office for the "Pardon My Take" podcast, indicating a strategic shift despite the cuts