Updated 25 January, 2024

Erika Ayers Badan

American

Former CEO
Barstool Sports

In 2016, Badan (formerly Nardini) was named the CEO of Barstool Sports. Badan oversees the company's expansion into multimedia, merchandising, streaming and pay-per-view programming. In August 2023, Penn Entertainment sold Barstool Sports back to Dave Portnoy for $1 and, in January 2024, Badan announced she will resign.

Education

Colby College

MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS

Since she was appointed CEO of Barstool Sports, Badan has led a 3,650% increase in overall revenue, boosting social follower counts by 5,700%. She was instrumental in Barstool Sports’ strategic partnership with, and eventual takeover by, casino operator Penn Entertainment. This partnership has now been ended after Penn sold Barstool Sports back to Dave Portnoy and, instead, partnered with ESPN Bet.

EMPLOYMENT

In March 2022, Badan joined the Premier Lacrosse League as a Board Member; prior to that, she served as Board Member for Torchy's Tacos.

Between October 2020 and September 2022, she also served as Board Member for WWE, and was President and Chief Revenue Officer at Bkstg between January 2015 and July 2016.

Meanwhile, she was appointed CMO at AOL in January 2013, and between 2010 and 2012 served as SVP of Sales and Marketing for Demand Media.

Between 2009 and 2010 she led Yahoo’s Brand Packaging Solutions as VP. During her career, Badan also served as SVP Business Development Founder of Modelinia, was Senior Director at MSN Global Branded Entertainment and Experiences, VP and Media Director at DigitasLBi, VP and Group Account Director for Arnold Worldwide and Media Manager at Fidelity Investments.

PRODUCTS LAUNCHED

During Badan's tenure, Barstool has launched more than 60 brands, including the sports podcast “Pardon My Take,” golf podcast “Fore Play” and the hockey podcast “Spittin’ Chiclets.” Badan also hosts Token CEO, a podcast about business and sports news.

"I am stepping down as CEO. I was trying for a while last night to capture everything we’ve done together and how much it’s meant to me but I don’t have the right words for it. Barstool is and has always been so many different things." Erika Ayers Badan

Interviews and public speeches

Badan is a frequent public speaker and gave a keynote speech at G2E Las Vegas in 2022.

In September 2022, Badan (then Nardini) spoke with Gaming America about her strategies and her impact on the sports betting industry. You can read more about this here: