Inside Alex Cooper’s $125 Million Deal To Grow Her Multimedia Empire

Forbes

The 30-year-old Call Her Daddy star signed a massive contract with SiriusXM in August with the promise of bringing a new generation to the aging satellite network. Now all she has to do is deliver.  Read the full story on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexyork/2024/11/22/talk-aint-cheap-inside-alex-coopers-125-million-deal-to-grow-her-multi-media-empire/  Subscribe to FORBES: https://www.youtube.com/user/Forbes?sub_confirmation=1  Fuel your success with Forbes. Gain unlimited access to premium journalism, including breaking news, groundbreaking in-depth reported stories, daily digests and more. Plus, members get a front-row seat at members-only events with leading thinkers and doers, access to premium video that can help you get ahead, an ad-light experience, early access to select products including NFT drops and more:  https://account.forbes.com/membership/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=growth_non-sub_paid_subscribe_ytdescript  Stay Connected Forbes newsletters: https://newsletters.editorial.forbes.com Forbes on Facebook: http://fb.com/forbes Forbes Video on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/forbes Forbes Video on Instagram: http://instagram.com/forbes More From Forbes:  http://forbes.com  Forbes covers the intersection of entrepreneurship, wealth, technology, business and lifestyle with a focus on people and success.

Transcript

00:00Today on Forbes, inside Alex Cooper's $125 million deal to grow her multimedia empire.

00:09It's 9 p.m. in Los Angeles' Peacock Theater when five performers take the stage.

00:14Eminems shake that blast from the speakers and the male dancers start to tear off their

00:19clothes.

00:20As they strip down to their last layer, an energized Alexandra Cooper appears behind

00:25them in her signature pink sweat set.

00:28Cooper, who is 30 years old, stands in front of 5,000 screaming young women who have packed

00:33the house.

00:35She shouts, quote,

00:36Welcome to the Unwell Tour.

00:39After the burlesque show, Cooper talks about growing up in Newtown, Pennsylvania, playing

00:43Division I soccer at Boston University, and her rollercoaster sex life.

00:48Multiple dance numbers and outfit changes later, pop star Camila Cabello and comedian

00:53Heather McMahon join her for onstage interviews before a performance by Maneater singer Nelly

00:58Furtado closes out the show.

01:01It's the seventh and final date of Cooper's personal review, based on her hit podcast

01:06Call Her Daddy, which regularly attracts more than 13.5 million monthly listeners.

01:12The live shows are a celebratory end to Cooper's massive year.

01:16In August, she signed a $125 million three-year deal with Sirius XM to bring her Unwell network

01:23of five podcasts to the 34-million-subscriber-strong radio giant.

01:29Unwell is a branch of Cooper's self-described, quote,

01:32Gen Z media company, Trending, which she co-founded in April 2023 with her film producer husband,

01:39Matt Kaplan.

01:41In addition to Call Her Daddy, Unwell also oversees other popular influencer-hosted shows,

01:46such as Hot Mess with Alex Earle and Pretty Lonesome with Madeline Argy.

01:51Both Earle and Argy, like Cooper, are Forbes' 30 Under 30 alumnae.

01:56Cooper's ambitions for Trending are unbounded.

01:59Live events, scripted and unscripted shows, podcasts, tours, and commerce.

02:05The company is young, but the Sirius XM deal gives it a nice cash cushion.

02:10Scott Greenstein, president of Sirius XM, says, quote,

02:15We look for audio talent that is interesting, powerful, has a point of view, and has a social

02:19media following that can amplify what they're doing on the air.

02:23Prior to signing with Sirius XM, Cooper had a $60 million three-year deal with streaming

02:29titan Spotify.

02:30But it was time to move on.

02:32She says, quote,

02:33The brand had only grown since being at Spotify.

02:36I knew the money would be there.

02:38The deal was more about what other things people can give Call Her Daddy and Unwell

02:42that will help us grow.

02:44And grown she has.

02:46In 2018, Cooper was heartbroken and unemployed, recording a podcast with her then-roommate

02:51Sophia Franklin from their New York City apartment.

02:54The pair dished on their dating lives as single 20-somethings, and quickly gained a community

02:59of loyal young female fans who called themselves the, quote, Daddy Gang.

03:04The show caught the attention of David Portnoy, the charismatic and controversial founder

03:08of Barstool Sports, a digital media outfit aimed at sports-obsessed young men.

03:14It was an instant hit, generating two million downloads in its first two months.

03:20Cooper then took it to Spotify in 2021, broadening it away from just sex and dating.

03:25While at Spotify, Cooper turned Call Her Daddy into one of journalism's top destinations,

03:30drawing comparisons to Barbara Walters and Howard Stern.

03:34Guests have included Jane Fonda, Simone Biles, and, in October, a much-publicized interview

03:40with Vice President Kamala Harris.

03:42Sponsors including Tinder, Sephora, and Airbnb flocked too.

03:47Today, Call Her Daddy jousts with the likes of the Joe Rogan Experience and the New York

03:51Times The Daily for a spot at the top of the podcast's streaming charts.

03:56For full coverage, be sure to watch our video interview with Alex Cooper, and check out

04:01Alexandra York's piece on Forbes.com.

04:05This is Kieran Meadows from Forbes.

04:07Thanks for tuning in.

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