SPOTIFY TO BUY THE RINGER

Spotify is planning to purchase the website The Ringer, which is known for its popular podcasts, the website’s owner Bill Simmons confirmed Wednesday.

Simmons assured his followers that The Ringer, which features more than 30 podcasts, would remain the same “in every respect.”

“They appreciate what we do and they want us to be us,” he posted in a Twitter statement.

Simmons founded the website, which includes popular podcasts like “The Bill Simmons Podcasts” and “The Rewatchables,” in 2016 after ESPN did not renew his contract, The New York Times reported. The Ringer started out on Medium before moving to Vox Media in 2017.

Dawn Ostroff, Spotify’s chief content officer, said in a statement that the move was done in the hopes of expanding the company’s “global sports strategy.”

“We look forward to putting the full power of Spotify behind The Ringer as they drive our global sports strategy,” Ostroff said. “As we set out to expand our sports and entertainment offerings, we wanted a best-in-class editorial team.”