Dan Le Batard Announces He's Removing Stugotz's Name From Their Show
For years and years the official name of Dan Le Batard's show has been "The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz" in recognition of the show's longtime cohost Jon "Stugotz" Wiener. But this week, Le Batard announced that there will be changes moving forward.
On Thursday, Le Batard announced that Stugotz's name is being removed from the show. It comes on the heels of a public falling out between the two sides that has resulted in Stugotz leaving the show. Le Batard said that his longtime friend will always be welcome but admitted that their relationship isn't what it once was.
"This is many months overdue, but I am here to announce unfortunately that Stugotz's name is going to have to come off the show," Le Batard said. "If I'm being totally honest, though, the delay in removing his name and the silence surrounding it has been because I've been desperately trying to find all the ways to prevent and avoid it."
"This is not the correct way to say goodbye after more than two decades with him, so he and I will continue to try to figure out a reunion. And I remain hopeful he'll continue to be part of what we're doing eventually, and know he'll always be welcome. But I've got to admit now, we are not what we once were. Pretending otherwise is not loyalty, it's denial."
https://www.youtube.com/live/52D62MhzvZ8?si=SWUN4vq6_d2hqmCN
The Money Impacts the Show
According to Awful Announcing, one of the key issues that Le Batard and Stugotz faced was competing sportsbook partnerships between their two shows. Le Batard's Meadowlark Media company has a lucrative licensing deal with DraftKings, while Stugotz has his own deal with rival FanDuel.
Stugotz left Meadowlark Media entirely last year and has been striking off on his own with his Stupodity podcast and other ventures, including a show on Fox Sports radio.
"Here's what I've learned about long-term commitment. The ones that last are not the ones that stay exactly the same," Le Batard added. "The moment you stop growing together is the moment you start growing apart. If we just kept doing exactly what we did from Day One, you would be right to wonder if we were really paying attention to the way you care or your investment at all. The most consistent thing about our show has never been how or when or why people leave. The most consistent thing about our show is somehow, you stay. No matter the storm."
"There has been upheaval all around us for more than 20 years, most of it concealed in the name of protecting the escape of the laughter. But I'd argue it's very rare to endure in something as competitive as entertainment for this long without upheaval."
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This story was originally published June 18, 2026 at 9:51 AM.