Erika Ayers Badan, formerly known as Erika Nardini, was once the most powerful woman in sports media. As the former CEO of Barstool Sports, she led the company to unprecedented growth and success, transforming it from a niche blog to a multimedia empire. She was also a public speaker, a podcast host, and a board member of several prominent organizations. However, her career came to an abrupt end in January 2024, when she announced her resignation from Barstool Sports, amid rumors of personal and professional scandals.
Erika Ayers Badan Wiki/Bio
| Name | Erika Ayers Badan |
|---|---|
| Former name | Erika Nardini |
| Date of birth | November 6, 1975 |
| Place of birth | Colorado, USA |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | White |
| Religion | Unknown |
| Education | Colby College (B.A. in Sociology) |
| Occupation | Former CEO of Barstool Sports, sports executive, public speaker, podcast host |
| Spouse | Brett Aquino Nardini |
| Children | Cannon Gleason Nardini and Turin Jean Nardini |
| Awards and recognition | Most Creative People in Business by Fast Company, Most Powerful Women in U.S. Sports by Forbes, Most Powerful Women in Sports by Adweek, Notable Women in the Business of Sports by Crain’s New York, Most Impactful Women in Entertainment by Variety |
| Links | Wikipedia- @Erika_Nardini Twitter- @erika_ Linkedin- @erikanardini Homepage- Newsunzip |
Biography
Erika Ayers Badan was born on November 6, 1975, in Colorado, United States. She spent most of her childhood in New Hampshire and Vermont, where her parents, Richard Wendell Ayers and Mina Kathryn Limouze, were both teachers. She attended a public high school and developed an interest in sociology and philosophy. She graduated from Colby College in Maine in 1997, with a bachelor’s degree in sociology and philosophy. She was also an avid skier and a squash player.
Early Career
After college, Erika Ayers Badan started her career as an intern at Fidelity Investments in Boston, working in the legal department. She soon realized that she was not cut out for legal work and switched to the advertising department, where she found her passion. She took a pay cut from $50,000 to $16,000, but she was happy to work in a creative environment. She quit Fidelity Investments in 2001, as a media manager.
Adopting Cynthia Rowley’s definition of success pic.twitter.com/3V2mUUrdg4
— Erika (@erika_) January 27, 2023
She then joined Arnold Worldwide, an advertising agency, as a vice president and group account director. She worked there until 2005, handling accounts for clients such as Volkswagen, Royal Caribbean, and ESPN. She then moved to DigitasLBi, another advertising agency, as a vice president and media director. She stayed there until 2008, working on campaigns for American Express, Delta Air Lines, and Starwood Hotels.
In 2008, Ayers Badan launched her own startup, Modelinia, a digital media platform for fashion and beauty. She served as the CEO and founder of the company, which featured content from models, celebrities, and experts. She also partnered with brands such as Maybelline, L’Oreal, and Victoria’s Secret. However, the company did not last long and shut down in 2010.
Ayers Badan then joined Microsoft, as the global head of consumer marketing for Bing, the search engine. She was responsible for developing and executing the marketing strategy for Bing, across online, mobile, and social channels. She also oversaw the partnerships with Facebook, Twitter, and Yahoo. She worked at Microsoft until 2012.
She then moved to Yahoo, as the vice president of sales and marketing for the Americas. She led the sales and marketing teams for Yahoo’s media properties, such as Yahoo News, Yahoo Sports, Yahoo Finance, and Yahoo Entertainment. She also launched new products and initiatives, such as Yahoo Screen, Yahoo Live, and Yahoo Style. She worked at Yahoo until 2013.
She then joined AOL, as the chief marketing officer. She was in charge of the global marketing strategy for AOL’s brands, such as The Huffington Post, TechCrunch, Engadget, and AOL.com. She also managed the advertising and content partnerships with Verizon, NBCUniversal, and Microsoft. She worked at AOL until 2015.
Former CEO of Barstool Sports
In 2016, Erika Ayers Badan was named the CEO of Barstool Sports, a digital media company that focused on sports, pop culture, and comedy. She was the first and only CEO of the company, which was founded by Dave Portnoy in 2003. She was hired by The Chernin Group, which had acquired a majority stake in Barstool Sports in 2016, at a valuation of $15 million.
Ayers Badan oversaw the company’s expansion into multimedia, merchandising, streaming, and pay-per-view programming. She launched new podcasts, shows, and events, such as Pardon My Take, Call Her Daddy, The Barstool Classic, and The Barstool Fund. She also acquired and invested in other media properties, such as Rough N’ Rowdy, a boxing league, and TwoYay, a marketplace platform for college athletes. She also partnered with major brands, such as Coors Light, Pizza Hut, and ESPN.
Under her leadership, Barstool Sports grew exponentially, both in terms of revenue and audience. The company’s valuation increased from $15 million in 2016 to $450 million in 2020, when it sold a 36% stake to Penn National Gaming, a casino operator. The company’s revenue also increased from $15 million in 2016 to $200 million in 2021, doubling from the previous year. The company’s audience also expanded from 12 million monthly unique visitors in 2016 to over 100 million in 2021, across various platforms, such as X, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
Erika Ayers Badan also received several accolades and recognition for her achievements and influence in the media industry. She was named one of the Most Creative People in Business by Fast Company in 2018, one of the Most Powerful Women in U.S. Sports by Forbes in 2018 and 2019, one of the Most Powerful Women in Sports by Adweek in 2017 and 2020, and one of the Most Impactful Women in Entertainment by Variety in 2023. She was also elected to the board of directors of WWE in 2020 and the Premier Lacrosse League in 2022. She also hosted a podcast, Token CEO, where she gave business advice and insights to her listeners.
Resignation
However, Erika Ayers Badan’s career came to a sudden halt in January 2024, when she announced her resignation from Barstool Sports, in a video posted on X. She said that she felt like the work she came to do was done, and that she was ready for a new challenge. She also expressed her gratitude to Portnoy, the founder of Barstool Sports, and the rest of the staff and fans. She did not reveal her next move or the reason for her departure.
Her resignation came amid rumors of personal and professional scandals, involving her marriage, her affair, and her business dealings. According to reports, Ayers Badan had left her husband, Brett Aquino Nardini, a financial advisor, for her married squash coach, Yvain Badan, whom she met at a country club in Connecticut in 2020. Her affair reportedly led to the divorce of both couples, and she changed her last name from Nardini to Badan.
She also faced criticism and backlash for some of her decisions and actions at Barstool Sports, such as firing and rehiring a staff member for using a racial slur, partnering with ESPN for its gambling app, and hosting and broadcasting controversial events, such as the College Basketball Invitational and the Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl. Some of these moves also caused friction and conflict with Penn National Gaming, the casino operator that had invested in Barstool Sports.
Spouse, Kids
Erika Ayers Badan was married to Brett Aquino Nardini, a financial advisor at Wells Fargo Securities, from 2003 to 2020. They had two sons, Cannon Gleason Nardini and Turin Jean Nardini. They lived in New York City and Connecticut. They are living together a happy life. They have always supported their kids.
Net Worth
| Year | Net worth |
|---|---|
| 2021 | $12 million |
| 2022 | $15 million |
| 2023 | $18 million |
Height, Weight
- Height: around 5’7″ or 170 cm
- Weight: around 60 kg or 132 lbs
- Eye color: blue
- Body measurements: 34-26-36 inches or 86-66-91 cm
- Skin color: fair
- Hair color: blonde
Erika Ayers Badan is a remarkable and influential figure in the media industry, who rose to fame and fortune as the CEO of Barstool Sports. She led the company to unprecedented growth and success, transforming it from a niche blog to a multimedia empire. She was also a public speaker, a podcast host, and a board member of several prominent organizations.
