HBO cancels Bill Simmons’ ‘Any Given Wednesday’

Bill Simmons’ shift from behind the keyboard to in front of the camera on a weekly basis has ended with word that HBO has canceled the sports and pop culture chat show “Any Given Wednesday.”

After what’s described in a statement from HBO as a “mutually agreed upon” decision between the network and Simmons, the 17th and final episode of the show will air next Wednesday, Nov. 9. (The show was scheduled for a 20-episode season.) However, HBO will continue its association with Simmons, which includes acting as an investor in Simmons’ online venture the Ringer, a sports and pop culture website.

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“HBO is committed to Bill Simmons, and we are excited to bring his unique vision to bear on an array of new programming initiatives under the HBO Sports banner in 2017,” said Peter Nelson, executive vice president, HBO Sports in a statement. “Bill is an award-winning executive producer in the documentary arena, and we will work closely with him in developing new and engaging content for our subscribers.”

Simmons came to HBO last year after a public falling out with his former bosses at ESPN, where he first gained national fame as a columnist known as “The Sports Guy,” which established him as an influential media voice combining a fan’s perspective with an obsessive’s knowledge of pop culture.

That increasing visibility eventually expanded to Simmons helping create the acclaimed documentary series “30 for 30” as well as Grantland, a sports and pop culture website. But Simmons ran afoul of his bosses, which resulted in his dismissal from the network in 2015 followed by the shuttering of Grantland. (The Ringer, which launched earlier this year, boasts more than 20 former Grantland staffers.)

“Any Given Wednesday” debuted in June but struggled with critics and with ratings, which fought to keep pace with the network’s similarly structured shows “Last Week Tonight With John Oliver” and “Real Time With Bill Maher.” In addition, apart from a premiere episode rant in support of Tom Brady by guest (and fellow Bostonian) Ben Affleck, Simmons’ show seldom delivered the talked-about social media moments that help shows compete online.

“One of the many reasons I joined HBO was to see if we could create a show built around smart conversations for sports fans and pop culture junkies,” said Simmons in the network’s statement. “We loved making that show, but unfortunately it never resonated with audiences like we hoped. And that’s on me.

“But I love being a part of HBO’s family and look forward to innovating with them on other ambitious programming ideas over these next several years — both for the network and for digital.”

chris.barton@latimes.com

Follow me over here @chrisbarton.

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