SiriusXM announced a major expansion of its podcasting portfolio with a multi-year agreement with Alex Cooper, host of the popular “Call Her Daddy” podcast.
$125 million for more than three years
Cooper, one of the world’s leading podcasters, previously worked exclusively with Spotify to distribute her program, “Call Her Daddy,” which ranked as Spotify’s second-biggest podcast of 2023, only behind “The Joe Rogan Experience.”
“Call Her Daddy” also ranked as the fourth-biggest podcast across all platforms among U.S. listeners in the second quarter of 2024 according to Edison Research, behind Rogan, “Crime Junkie” and The New York Times’ “The Daily.”
Citing a person familiar with the agreement, CNN reported that the agreement is worth $125 million for more than three years. This comes after her previous $60 million contract with Spotify in 2021, which granted the streaming giant exclusive rights to ‘Call Her Daddy’ for a three-year term.”
Exclusive rights to distribution and monetization
Under the terms of the deal, SiriusXM will gain exclusive advertising and distribution rights to “Call Her Daddy” and the entire lineup of shows from Cooper’s Unwell Network, including “Hot Mess with Alix Earle,” “Pretty Lonesome with Madeline Argy,” “Boyfriend Material with Harry Jowsey,” and “In Your Dreams with Owen Thiele.” The deal also includes a comprehensive programming development strategy for exclusive content with SiriusXM, expected to begin rolling out in 2025.
“I am beyond excited to work with SiriusXM,” said Alex Cooper. “The Daddy Gang will always be my top priority, and with SiriusXM we will continue to find new ways to evolve and provide my listeners the best experience. The Daddy Gang wants more, so we’re getting ready to give them more…I can’t wait for this new chapter to begin.”
SiriusXM President and Chief Content Officer Scott Greenstein praised Cooper’s impact on the podcasting landscape. “Alex’s fearless, unfiltered approach, where no topic is off the table, has created a passionate and dedicated fan base that is unmatched in podcasting and perfectly aligns with the content that SiriusXM subscribers have come to love and expect from us,” said Scott Greenstein, President, and Chief Content Officer at SiriusXM.
Expand its podcast offerings
The deal aligns with SiriusXM’s ongoing strategy to expand its podcast offerings and reach a wider audience. It comes on the heels of SiriusXM’s acquisition of ‘SmartLess’, hosted by actors Jason Bateman, Will Arnett and Sean Hayes, earlier this year for a similar nine-figure sum, indicating a growing trend of major media companies investing heavily in the podcasting industry.”
