Bill Simmons’ weekly talk show Any Given Wednesday has been effectively canceled by HBO, with its upcoming Nov. 9 episode now serving as the series finale. In 30-minute installments, the show mixed commentary on politics, culture, and sports, with a diverse slate of two to three guests per week. But it premiered in June to a disappointing critical response, and in the months since has seen its viewership dwindle, with the most recent episode drawing less than 100,000 live viewers.
“One of the many reasons I joined HBO was to see if we could create a show built around smart conversations for sports fans and pop culture junkies,” Simmons said in a statement. “We loved making that show, but unfortunately it never resonated with audiences like we hoped. And that’s on me.” Simmons added that he hopes to maintain his relationship with HBO, which formally began when the pay-cable network’s sports banner partnered with Bill Simmons Media Group in July 2015.
Simmons turned to HBO after vacating his role as editor in chief of the ESPN-owned Grantland, which shut down in late 2015. But while he was able to attract major talent on a weekly basis for the network, he struggled considerably as a television personality, often seeming ill-at-ease on camera and clunkily stringing together different segments in a way that didn’t quite add up to a satisfying half-hour. Any Given Wednesday arguably peaked in popularity with its very first episode, which featured Ben Affleck’s memorably bizarre (and lengthy) rant on Deflategate. Otherwise, however, the show was drowned out by better, more polished commentary programs—including a few on its own network.
