Aug 20, 2024 - Business
Alex Cooper signs with SiriusXM
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Alex Cooper at Spotify Beach on June 20, 2023, in Cannes, France. Photo: Antony Jones/Getty Images for Spotify
"Call Her Daddy" host Alex Cooper is moving to SiriusXM.
Why it matters: Cooper signed an exclusive licensing deal with Spotify back in 2021, but the company has since changed its strategy.
Zoom in: SiriusXM announced Tuesday that the deal with Cooper will include a "comprehensive programming development strategy for exclusive content" starting in 2025.
- SiriusXM has exclusive advertising and distribution rights for "Call Her Daddy" and shows from The Unwell Network, Cooper's talent network that includes "Hot Mess With Alix Earle" and "Pretty Lonesome with Madeline Argy" and is a subsidiary of her media company, Trending.
- The deal includes global ad sales rights for video and audio versions of the shows. SiriusXM also noted Cooper's events will be a part of the company.
- A source familiar with the agreement said the deal is valued at $100 million and lasts over three years.
Zoom out: SiriusXM's deal is part of a broader pivot by audio giants to secure exclusive rights to distribution and monetization instead of signing deals to exclusively host them or to buy them outright.
- Spotify had shifted its podcast strategy after initially making hefty investments that significantly impacted its overall finances. CEO Daniel Ek has said he believes podcasting will become "positive to our margin story" this year.
- Spotify did renew its licensing deal with Joe Rogan earlier this year but no longer required it to be exclusively available on its platform. It also previously ended its exclusivity with "Call Her Daddy" — other than video.
- SiriusXM has secured other megadeals. It signed a three-year deal with SmartLess Media, run by Will Arnett, Jason Bateman and Sean Hayes, worth more than $100 million earlier this year. In 2022, it bought Conan O'Brien's Team Coco for $150 million.
