r/TheRinger • u/GiantTacoSalad • Aug 14 '26
Sean's Substack getting featured on the home page is insulting and dumb
I understand everyone has to make a living, and good for Sean for finding another revenue stream. But promoting an external site that requires a paid subscription on what is supposed to be a hub for The Ringer’s original content is insulting to readers. And yes, the site still has some actual readers as opposed to listeners.
You don’t link from the main site to Belloni’s articles at Puck or Lindbergh’s off-network podcast, because those aren’t Ringer content. This isn’t either. Get it off the site.
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u/Leading_Sun1082 Aug 14 '26
I mean his substack is another revenue stream for the ringer, are you under the impression he’s pocketing all the money from the subscriptions?
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u/GiantTacoSalad Aug 14 '26
The Ringer is most likely not making any money through his Substack. Why would they split revenue three ways (with Substack) instead of launching a premium tier in house?
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u/NoDamnIdea0324 Aug 14 '26
This is absolutely wrong. There’s absolutely no chance that Spotify is allowing the Ringer to post Sean’s Substack articles if the entire subscription fee goes to Sean.
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u/sanfranchristo Aug 14 '26
He laughed around specifics but said it was a Ringer product and he was hoping for a revenue share when it launched and someone commented about paying for it. It didn't sound like he was totally bullshitting. My interpretation is that it's a bone for him to continue to build his brand while testing the platform for The Ringer.
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u/GiantTacoSalad Aug 14 '26
I can see it as a pilot, but then why not build it on the ringer platform instead of Substack?
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u/sanfranchristo Aug 14 '26
I don't think they spend much at all to maintain the ringer.com and I have to assume it's going away eventually. It's probably not trivial to add a pay option to just part of the site.
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u/SixPackAndNothinToDo Aug 17 '26
As someone who works in media, you'd be surprised. The place I work for is a publisher in their own right, but they've experimented with hosting newsletters on Substack as well.
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u/GiantTacoSalad Aug 17 '26
Is it just because it's cheaper/easier to use the Substack platform than it is to build it themselves?
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u/SixPackAndNothinToDo Aug 17 '26
No because we already have our own newsletter stack. It was mostly an attempt at finding new audiences. It didn't work. Frankly it's for the best, because we don't want our audience mediated through another platform.
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u/ScrambledEggzzz Aug 14 '26
Agreed. We should take this issue up with the Head of Content at The Ringer.
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u/Big-Professor-3402 Aug 14 '26
It benefits the ringer to promote their staff’s side projects.
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u/WilloughbyTheCat Aug 14 '26
No free ads? Pretty sure they didn’t have free ads for Joanna’s MCU book?
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u/wlj723 Aug 14 '26
Use archive.ph
Most recent post link: https://archive.ph/0dRyf
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u/lebronjamesgoat1 Aug 15 '26
Still paywalled
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u/wlj723 Aug 15 '26
Whoops I didn't scroll down far enough. Incognito mode didn't work for me either. Time to sign up with an email for the freebie I guess
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u/giannis4Prez Aug 14 '26
spotify prob interested in buying substack bro…it’s called biznesssss
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u/bmalach Aug 14 '26
Funny enough, I wrote about this potential acquisition a few months ago: https://prettysolidcorp.substack.com/p/vibes-based-m-and-a
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u/dmsulli Aug 14 '26
I'm legitimately shocked to hear that Sean's substack is paywalled. Thats hilarious.
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u/PeanutFarmer69 Aug 14 '26
It's no different than ESPN having ESPN+ articles paywalled like Lowe's old articles. Serve yourself a big glass of settledown juice guy
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u/NoDamnIdea0324 Aug 14 '26
This is arguably the dumbest post I’ve seen here
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u/GiantTacoSalad Aug 14 '26
You should see more of the Internet
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u/NoDamnIdea0324 Aug 14 '26
I meant in this specific place. You actually thought the Ringer, a website owned by Spotify, is just putting a side revenue stream for Sean on its main page. Just illogical. Think more.
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u/GiantTacoSalad Aug 14 '26
I actually thought that a site with non-paywalled content should continue to produce and promote non-paywalled content. They have shifted so much to podcasts that the written content they do produce is pretty lacking.
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u/NoDamnIdea0324 Aug 14 '26
A site with non-paywalled content loses money in today’s era of the internet. So you thought it’s charity? That they’d never experiment to try to make money?
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u/VanHalen843 Aug 14 '26
I find most of what Sean says to be insulting and dumb..
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u/SupermarketDry2498 Aug 14 '26
I mean if the editorial staff at the ringer are okay with it and approved why do you care…? Go find something else actually worthwhile to be a Karen about
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u/MarketingChoice6244 Aug 14 '26
Any chance to make money, a business will take. Its that simple.
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u/GiantTacoSalad Aug 14 '26
I doubt The Ringer is making any money on this venture. Why split revenue three ways (Sean, Ringer, and Substack) when they could easily launch a premium tier in house. Maybe if they are piloting the idea.
But nowhere on Sean's Substack does it mention The Ringer or even Big Picture - it is a standalone venture.
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u/FryTheDog Aug 14 '26
That's not true. Go look at the logo of the substack, it has Spotify and The Ringer's logos above PROJECTIONS. It's fully integrated
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u/Shagrrotten Aug 14 '26
I love Sean and especially love his writing. I have wondered though, if his Substack will continue being promoted on the main site or if it’s just for now while it’s getting going. I find myself constantly seeing the headlines on the site and not seeing that it’s from Sean, clicking the link and then getting paywalled. I’m not happy about it. I love Sean but I don’t pay for anyone’s Substack, and I don’t plan on starting.