Alex Cooper is breaking up with Spotify.
The world’s most popular female podcaster has struck a new deal to take her Call Her Daddy show and “Daddy Gang” of super fans over to SiriusXM starting in 2025.
The move represents a major poach by the SiriusXM Podcast Network, as Cooper has been the music streamer’s No. 2 original behind Joe Rogan’s Joe Rogan Experience.
The new deal is worth $125 million, sources say, and covers a little over three years. Cooper previously struck a record-breaking three-year $60 million Spotify deal in 2021. At the time, this was the second-biggest podcast deal ever struck following Rogan’s own Spotify mega-deal. The move follows SiriusXM luring another top title, SmartLess, from Amazon in January.
“I am beyond excited to work with SiriusXM,” the 29-year-old Cooper said in a statement. “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.”
The new deal gives SiriusXM exclusive advertising and distribution rights for host and executive producer Cooper’s flagship podcast, as well as her Unwell brand’s lineup of shows (which include Hot Mess with Alix Earle, Pretty Lonesome with Madeline Argy, Boyfriend Material with Harry Jowsey, and In Your Dreams with Owen Thiele).
“Alex’s fearless, unfiltered approach, where no topic is off the table, has created a passionate and dedicated fanbase 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. “SiriusXM is the perfect home for Alex to continue her amazing growth trajectory, with our unique ability to introduce her and her growing roster of standout talent to new listeners, as well as super-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 years to come.”
Last year, Spotify CEO Daniel Ek signaled that the company was “going to be very diligent in how we invest in future [podcast] content deals,” causing some to wonder if the music streamer was going to continue to strike mega-deals for top content creators. In February, Spotify nonetheless renewed its Rogan deal for a contract that’s reportedly worth $250 million.
Launched in 2018, Call Her Daddy was initially a bawdy and sex-positive chat show with two young and single hosts (Cooper and co-host Sofia Franklyn). The show was quickly acquired by Barstool Sports where it became a nearly overnight success. In 2020, Cooper parted ways with Franklyn and, in 2021, took the podcast to Spotify. It’s since evolved into “a modern twist on feminism” podcast that covers a range of topics and has frequent A-list celebrity guests (such as Jane Fonda, Post Malone, Gwyneth Paltrow, Hailey Bieber, Miley Cyrus and John Mayer). Rolling Stone has dubbed Cooper “Gen Z’s Barbara Walters.”
Most recently, Cooper launched media company, Trending, and its subsidiary Unwell Audio Network, LLC, alongside her husband and business partner Matt Kaplan of Ace Entertainment. This media venture will elevate the voices and stories of Gen Z.