Both Barstool Sports and Barstool Sports Chicago are owned by Penn National Gaming.
Barstool Sports was founded in 2003 by Dave Portnoy as a Boston-based blog. It has since grown into a multi-platform media company with a focus on sports, pop culture, and comedy. Barstool Sports has a large following on social media, with over 10 million followers on Twitter and over 20 million followers on Instagram.
Barstool Sports Chicago was founded in 2016 by Dan "Big Cat" Katz and PFT Commenter. It is a regional version of Barstool Sports that focuses on Chicago sports and culture. Barstool Sports Chicago has a large following on social media, with over 600,000 followers on Twitter and over 1 million followers on Instagram.
In 2020, Penn National Gaming acquired a 36% stake in Barstool Sports for $163 million. In 2022, Penn National Gaming increased its stake in Barstool Sports to 51% for $450 million.
Penn National Gaming is a gaming and entertainment company that owns and operates casinos, racetracks, and other gaming properties. The company is headquartered in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania.