Spotify today revealed it’s purchasing The Ringer, the podcast dynasty created by former ESPN writer Bill Simmons. By doing so, it adds over 30 podcasts to its library of content. Spotify has been expanding its podcast lineup aggressively, and now it has the sports cred that The Ringer is known for. Simmons said in a statement (via Pitchfork): “Spotify has the unique ability to truly supercharge both content and creator talent across genres… We couldn’t be more excited to unlock Spotify’s power of scale and discovery, introduce The Ringer to a new global audience, and build the world’s flagship sports audio network.” The purchase comes as Spotify also reveals an uptick in paid subscribers — 29 percent, to be exact. It’s a good number, but it’s also operating at a loss as it invests in content like The Ringer. So you know, the good news and the bad news. So now that The Ringer is part of Spotify’s library, how do you find it on the site? There are two methods. The first method is just to search for “The Ringer.” Naturally the first thing to come up will probably be the Eminem song, but just scroll down the search page to “See All Podcasts.” You’ll find most, if not all of The Ringer’s shows this way. It’s about the easiest way to find Ringer shows to follow, and to see how many different shows Spotify now owns. The second method is to look under Spotify’s Sports category on the Podcasts page. The Ringer podcasts are scattered throughout the category, and here you can find not only their shows, but dozens of other good ones as well. You can also find Ringer shows in Arts & Entertainment, where their movie-based podcasts are currently a short ways down the page. Simple, right? The Ringer’s got a huge lineup of shows, and hopefully this helps the curious neophytes who want to know what exactly Spotify bought. If you want to see The Ringer’s main site, check here.
