SiriusXM has signed a multi-year deal with podcast star Alex Cooper that will give the company exclusive advertising and distribution rights to Cooper's She called her dad podcast as well as other titles under Unwell Audio Network, a production house he founded in 2023.
Cooper became a leading Gen Z media figure when She called her dad was released on Barstool Sports in 2018. Spotify signed Cooper in 2021 to a deal reportedly worth $60 million over three years, but has since moved away from expensive, exclusive podcast deals. SiriusXM swiped a deal worth up to $125 million over three years, according to Variety.
“Alex's fearless, no-holds-barred approach has created a passionate and dedicated fan base unmatched in podcasting and perfectly aligned with the content SiriusXM subscribers have come to love and expect from us.” Scott GreensteinSiriusXM's president/chief content officer said in a statement. “SiriusXM is the perfect home for Alex to continue her incredible growth trajectory, with our unique ability to introduce her and her growing roster of exceptional talent to new listeners, as well as serve her core fans with new content . Alex is the voice of a new generation and I can't wait to see what we do together in the coming years.”
SiriusXM, born from the 2008 merger of Sirius Satellite Radio and XM Satellite Radio, is betting that the new streaming app will help reach a new audience at a time when it faces losses in satellite customers. The company acquired Conan O'Brien's network, Team Coco, in 2022. And in January, it brought in SmartLess Media, producer of the popular Smart podcast, away from Amazon-owned Wondery. Other podcasts on his roster are Violator of crime, Pod Save America and 99% invisible.
Priced at $9.99 per month, the SiriusXM streaming app is intended to attract a younger audience than the pricier satellite radio service that is mostly listened to in cars. “Ultimately, we want customers to be able to listen on the device of their choice, so we're repositioning our business for the future,” CEO Jennifer Vitch he said during the company's Aug. 1 earnings call. Witz admitted that adoption of the streaming app, which launched in December, is lighter than expected, but said “our streaming metrics are improving quarter-on-quarter.”
