Any Given Wednesday With Bill Simmons, the weekly HBO talker hosted by the sports media personality, debuts its 20-episode season June 22. The half hour show airs in the 10 p.m. slot and will touch on sports and entertainment, of course, as well as arts and technology, with “intimate” chats with guests, says HBO.
Simmons signed on at HBO in July 2015 following a split with ESPN, where he rose from a regional blogger to an influential media executive and something of a household name.
“Bill Simmons represents a unique and distinct voice with a proven track record of challenging the norm and igniting debate and discussion on a wide range of topics,” said Michael Lombardo, HBO programming president. “We are excited about the concept Bill and his team have developed for this show, which takes advantage of Bill’s intelligence, talent and insights.”
The outspoken Simmons vows to pull no punches on premium cable. “I’m excited about the show, I’m excited about the title and I’m really, really excited to drop my first F-bomb on TV,” says Simmons. “We are going to figure out nudity down the road, as long as it’s tasteful.”
Any Given Wednesday will be executive produced by Simmons, Eric Weinberger and Stuart Miller. Weinberger is president of the Bill Simmons Media Group, and previously was an executive producer at the NFL Network. Miller was a producer for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart across a dozen years.
Any Given Wednesday will also be available on HBO Now, HBO Go and HBO On Demand.
In addition to delivering video podcasts and features, Simmons also consults with HBO Sports on non-boxing programming, including the development of shows and documentary films. The Simmons-produced podcast “After the Thrones,” a recap of HBO’s Game of Thrones, debuted Sunday, April 24.
