Tom Rowland Podcast Episode 354 is my conversation with Ben Friedman, the angler who launched Barstool Outdoors, the outdoor arm of Barstool Sports. We get into how he pitched and built the channel from the ground up, why he wanted it to capture the realistic experience of fishing instead of a polished network version, how Barstool's enormous and loyal audience accelerated everything, and what it really takes to turn a fishing obsession into a media brand.
Listen now: Apple Podcasts · Spotify · YouTube · Press play in the player above to watch.
Ben Friedman is an angler and content creator who launched Barstool Outdoors, the outdoor vertical of Barstool Sports. He grew up fishing and turned that passion into a media role, building a channel that brings outdoor content to Barstool's large and engaged audience.
Barstool Outdoors is the outdoor and fishing channel under the Barstool Sports brand. Ben Friedman created it to show the realistic, unpolished experience of fishing, the kind of authentic content that he felt did not fit a traditional outdoor network format, delivered to Barstool's massive fan base.
Ben pitched the idea inside Barstool and built the channel from the first episode, leaning on the company's personalities and audience to gain traction quickly. In the episode he describes the vision for that first episode, the realistic experience of fishing he wanted to capture, and how the Barstool machine helped it get recognition.
Ben wanted to show fishing the way it actually happens, including the slow moments and the things you cannot do on a polished network show. He believed an honest, relatable portrayal would resonate more with viewers than a heavily produced version, and that bet helped define the channel's voice.
Barstool fans are everywhere and famously loyal, and Ben explains how that built-in audience and the recognition from other Barstool personalities gave Barstool Outdoors momentum that an independent channel would have struggled to find on its own.
Tom Rowland Podcast Episode 354 with Ben Friedman is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and iHeartRadio. The video version is embedded at the top of this page.
I am fascinated by people who build something new inside a big platform, and that is exactly what Ben did with Barstool Outdoors. He took a personal passion for fishing and turned it into a channel reaching an audience most outdoor creators only dream about. I wanted to understand how he pitched it, how he kept it authentic, and what he learned about building an outdoor brand from inside one of the loudest media companies around. Press play in the YouTube player at the top of this page.
Ben walks through the early days of getting Barstool Outdoors off the ground, from the first episode to figuring out what the channel should actually be. He is honest about the uncertainty of building something brand new and the freedom that came with it. The way he describes those first steps is useful for anyone trying to launch a brand under a bigger umbrella. Listen to that section in the player above.
Ben made a deliberate choice to show fishing as it really is, including the parts a traditional network would cut. He explains why authenticity mattered more to him than polish, and how that decision shaped the channel's identity. If you create outdoor content, this is the part to hear.
Building an audience from zero is brutal. Ben had something most creators do not, a built-in army of Barstool fans and a roster of personalities who could amplify his work. He talks about how that recognition helped, and the responsibility that came with representing the brand. Press play in the YouTube player above.
Ben grew up fishing and found a way to make it his job. He gets into what that transition actually looked like, the work behind the scenes, and what he would tell someone trying to do the same thing today. Listen to how he frames it in the episode.
Listen to the full conversation: Apple Podcasts · Spotify · or watch in the YouTube player at the top of this page.
What stands out about Ben is that he saw an opening that did not exist yet and built it. Barstool Outdoors was not a sure thing, and he made it work by keeping it honest and getting after it.
If you are interested in content creation, building a brand inside a bigger platform, or just want to hear how a fishing obsession became a career, this conversation is worth your time.
Press play in the player above, or grab Episode 354 on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
The Tom Rowland Podcast brings you long-form conversations with the most accomplished anglers, hunters, conservationists, and outdoor professionals in the game. Listen to every full-length Tom Rowland Podcast interview.
Ben Friedman · Barstool Outdoors · Barstool Sports · YouTube · outdoor content creation
Ben Friedman is an angler and content creator who launched and built Barstool Outdoors, the outdoor vertical of Barstool Sports. He turned a lifelong passion for fishing into a media role, focusing on authentic, realistic outdoor content delivered to Barstool's large and loyal audience.
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