ENTERTAINMENTHoward Stern's Show Hit With Another Shake-Up as Long-Running Fantasy Football League Comes to an End
Howard Stern’s show underwent major staff cuts.
Sept. 13 2026, Published 11:03 a.m. ET
Howard Stern’s show is getting smaller, but that does not necessarily mean his business is fading.
Weeks after dozens of staffers were reportedly laid off from The Howard Stern Show, actor Michael Rapaport revealed on his “I Am Rapaport” podcast that the show’s long-running fantasy football league is over.
The Emotional Friends League had been part of Stern’s on-air world since 2008, often giving listeners the kind of heated staff drama that became its own recurring bit.
The long-running Emotional Friends League ended as part of the show’s changes.
“It has come to an end,” Rapaport said. “It is defunct. Motherf------ just can’t do it anymore.”
A Smaller 'Howard Stern Show'
‘The Howard Stern Show’ reportedly reduced its schedule from two episodes a week to one.
The fantasy football news follows broader changes around Stern, 72. Staff cuts in July affected major on-air personalities and longtime team members including Benjy Bronk, Jon Blitt, Memet Walker and Mike Trainor.
The show is also reportedly moving from two episodes a week to one. At the same time, Stern has announced a deal bringing weekly filmed episodes of his SiriusXM show to HBO Max globally beginning September 17.
Jason Greer, labor and employment management expert at Greer Consulting Inc., said the downsizing should not automatically be read as a sign of weakness.
“Most will try to make this about ratings, believing that downsizing is proof that the Howard Stern brand is dying, when the reality is that all of this is proof that the Howard Stern show is doing really well,” Greer said.
- 'Desperate Hoax': Howard Stern Reportedly Fabricated Cancelation Rumors to 'Get People to Tune Into' His Show Amid Plummeting Ratings
- Howard Stern Staffers Told to 'Not Speak' to Him at Parties, Insiders Claim as They Expose Allegations of Workplace's 'Cultish' Environment
- Howard Stern's Wife Beth Steps Out for New York Fashion Week After Reacting to Shock Jock's HBO Move: Photos
Want OK! each day? Sign up here!
The Howard Stern Factor
Howard Stern expanded his reach with weekly filmed episodes heading to HBO Max.
“The downsizing is happening because the network realized that people tune in to hear Howard, not the people who have traditionally supported him behind the scenes,” Greer said.
“From an ROI perspective, it makes sense to keep Howard and reduce the costs associated with the show, which unfortunately means that several people were let go as a result,” he added.
Stern framed the HBO Max move as a major expansion, saying the platform convinced him to “pull back the curtain” and let viewers watch celebrity interviews, musicians, staff antics and conversations with Robin Quivers.
The Layoff Warning Sign
An expert said the downsizing could reflect a business strategy centered on Howard Stern himself.
For employees watching changes unfold inside a show, Greer said exclusion can be one of the clearest signals.
“If you are an employee/leader who used to be invited to certain meetings, or given confidential information and you all of a sudden discover you have been purposely omitted from the information chain,” he said, “then it is a good chance that you may end up being let go.”
