Nearly four years after breaking away from a large company to run his own digital operation, Bill Simmons is going back into business with a corporate behemoth.

The Ringer, the website and podcasting network founded by Mr. Simmons in 2016, will soon become the property of Spotify, the companies said on Wednesday. The terms of the deal, which is expected to close by the end of the first quarter, were not disclosed.

Mr. Simmons, a writer, a sports commentator, a podcaster and an internet entrepreneur, started The Ringer after he left ESPN in a bitter dispute. As an employee of the sports media giant, he founded the sports and culture website Grantland. He also had a hand in the creation of the network’s “30 for 30” documentary series.

ESPN did not renew his contract in 2015 and closed Grantland months later. The Ringer was originally on the digital platform Medium and switched to Vox Media under a partnership announced in 2017.