Table of Contents
Early Life and Education
Dan Katz, also known as Big Cat, is an American internet personality best known as a co-host on Barstool Sports’ podcast, Pardon My Take. Born in West Newton, Massachusetts, on January 30, 1985, Dan Katz attended Newton North High School, graduating in 2003. He later pursued a university degree at the University of Wisconsin. Katz spent a significant part of his childhood in Chicago with his parents, but he has not disclosed their identity or profession.
Career and Achievements
Katz started his career at Barstool Sports as one of its first content creators in his 20s. In early 2016, The Chernin Group acquired Barstool Sports by buying a majority stake. Katz was among the employees who received a stake in the company after the acquisition.
Pardon My Take Podcast
Katz co-hosts Pardon My Take with Eric Sollenberger, popularly known as PFT Commenter. Launched in February 2016, the podcast ranked among the top sports podcasts in the United States in 2019, with approximately 60 million American listeners every week. This marked a 17% increase from 2018.
ESPN and Barstool Van Talk
Following Pardon My Take’s success, ESPN hired Dan Katz to host the late-night talk show Barstool Van Talk. However, the show was canceled after just one episode due to controversies surrounding Barstool Sports.
Guest Appearances and Writing
Katz has featured in other shows like PFT Live, Men in Blazers, and The Dan Patrick Show. In 2017, he was a writer for the TV series The Barstool Rundown: Live from Houston. Katz has also worked on The Ryen Russillo Show.
The Corp Podcast
In December 2018, Dan Katz partnered with professional baseball player Alex ‘A-Rod’ Rodriguez to create a podcast called The Corp. The first season featured guests like Barbara Corcoran, Kobe Bryant, Michael Rubin, Mike Francesa, and Barry Sternlicht, among others.
Controversies
Barstool Sports, Pardon My Take’s parent company, has faced several controversies over the years. In 2017, Katz was involved in a controversy when Barstool’s president, Dave Portnoy, made inappropriate comments referring to ESPN Sunday NFL Countdown host Sam Ponder in a blog post. The comments led to the cancellation of Barstool Van Talk.
Personal Life
Dan Katz is not married but is in a happy relationship with his girlfriend, with whom he lives in Chicago, Illinois. In March 2019, Katz announced on Twitter that he would become a father in June of the same year.
Dan Katz Net Worth and Social Media Presence
As of now, Dan Katz’s net worth is estimated to be around $1 million. Katz’s social media presence includes over 900k followers on Twitter, more than 500k followers on Instagram, and over twelve thousand likes on his official Facebook page.