If you are ages 15-27, care about sports in any capacity or have an interest in social media, you've probably heard of Barstool Sports. Barstool's meteoric rise from just a small newspaper publication in Boston to one of the biggest sports agencies in the world is not without reason.

Let's look into why Barstool Sports resonates with so many people. For one, their social media presence is enormous and their strategy is genius. Hundreds of colleges and universities around the country have their own affiliated Barstool page which essentially creates a network connecting schools all around the country.

Why is this important?

Not only is what comes out of the hundreds of schools hilarious and amusing but also it provides a never-ending stream of content. Not to mention, students around the country (one of Barstool's main audiences) feel connected to the outlet through their school's own barstool account.

Going along with social media, Barstool's following goes beyond their main account's 4 million followers on Instagram and 1.1 million followers on Twitter. Each and every barstool employee is almost like a reality tv show character. They all have distinct personalities and social media presences that people can relate to.

Additionally, all of the employees are extremely active on social media and frequently interact with their fans. Similarly to the network that Barstool has created with colleges and universities, they have writers that produce content for many of the major sports cities around the United States. With this network, they attract even more than just the young college demographic.

While their social media presence is massive, Barstool does more than just post on social media. Barstool podcasts (I say podcasts because I mean they have a ton) top the charts of not just sports podcasts, but all podcasts in general. Podcasts like Pardon My Take have become wildly popular. This summer I would listen to it every morning on my commute from New Jersey to the Bronx. In addition, Barstool now has its own 24-hour Sirius XM station.

But what really makes Barstool great? The answer is simple: it's hilarious and entertaining. Barstool is almost like the sports guy version of a reality show where you can hear funny takes about recent sports news and laugh at the ridiculous office banter that goes on within their headquarters.

Because of how popular Barstool has become, they even have their own nickname for their diehard fans: Stoolies. Barstool Sports is paving the way for new media to arise and they're doing so in a big way. Better watch out, ESPN.