Spotify inks exclusive deal with "Call her Daddy" podcaster
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Spotify
Spotify has inked an exclusive deal with Alexandra Cooper, host and creator of the popular podcast "Call her Daddy."
Why it matters: Spotify has dished out hundreds of millions of dollars in exclusive content deals over the past year in an effort to bolster its podcasting business. This deal is notable in that the audience is mostly younger women.
- "Call Her Daddy" is the second most popular female-created podcast globally on Spotify, according to data from the company. It was the fifth most popular podcast streamed globally on Spotify last year.
Details: Under the terms of the deal, Spotify has the right to exclusively air Cooper's "Call her Daddy" podcast beginning July 21. It also gets access to additional exclusive new projects in development from Cooper.
- The deal gives Spotify the exclusive rights to distribute all future episodes of the podcast, as well as access to all back catalogue full-length episodes.
- The Wall Street Journal first reported that the two parties were in final talks about a deal. The Journal reported that the deal is worth roughly $20 million.
Catch up quick: The popular podcast was started in 2018 by then-roommates and friends Alexandra Cooper and Sofia Franklyn.
- The duo's blunt and often raunchy conversations about sex and dating led them to quickly become viral success stories. Barstool Sports signed with the pair later that year to exclusively air the podcast.
- The podcast rose to become one of the most popular podcasts in America, until it went dark last spring following a messy contract dispute with Barstool Sports. That dispute caused a falling out between Cooper and Franklyn, resulting in Franklyn's departure. (Franklyn has since started a new show.)
- Last May, Cooper announced she was returning to the podcast with Barstool. The show's season finale was last month.
The big picture: As Axios has previously reported, podcasting is a very big growth opportunity for Spotify. The company's CEO Daniel Ek has said that podcasting is "highly correlated to user attention and growth" overall for the company.
- In the past year or so, Spotify has signed deals with Dax Shepard, Joe Rogan, Kim Kardashian, Warner Bros., Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, and others.
- It has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in podcast tech and production companies like Anchor, Gimlet, Parcast and Megaphone.
- It has more than tripled the number of podcasts it distributes from February 2020 to February 2021.
What they're saying: “The level of enthusiasm and buzz from listeners generated after each episode is emblematic of the magic of the podcast," said Dawn Ostroff, chief content & advertising business officer.
Go deeper ... All of Spotify's exclusive podcast deals, via Axios:
