HBO's Bill Simmons Project Slated For Summer

Time Warner Inc TWX's HBO deal with former ESPN and Grantland alum Bill Simmons has long been a topic of conversation with investors. Simmons is a big name commodity and a nice coup for the premium giant, but details on his new project were scarce until this week.

Titled "Any Given Wednesday with Bill Simmons," the program will launch at 10 p.m. on June 22 and look at everything from pop culture to tech to (of course) sports. The half-hour series has been given a 20-episode initial season order.

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Simmons has long been an influential figure and analysts were curious about his next move following a very public split from Walt Disney Co DIS's ESPN. The two sides had a falling out after his no-holds-barred take on how NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell mishandled the Ray Rice scandal. This new program will give him unrestricted freedom, which was a major reason why he decided to set up shop at the premium channel.

Simmons is also working with HBO on the web-series "After The Thrones," which is a weekly recap show discussing the network's flagship Emmy winning drama "Game of Thrones."

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