Last month, it was reported that Alex Cooper of the massively popular “Call Her Daddy” podcast was seeking a new $100 million deal as her three-year contract with Spotify was set to lapse. Now, The Hollywood Reporter and other outlets have the story that Cooper has found such a deal, signing a deal for a bit over three years starting in 2025 with SiriusXM, said to be valued at up to $125 million.
That’s well over twice the $60 million that Cooper made in her previous deal with Spotify back in 2021, which at the time was the second biggest contract ever signed in the podcast world, right after Joe Rogan’s, who had also signed his own big deal with the audio streamer. But, a source tells Business Insider that the $125 million figure is the maximum payout if certain performance benchmarks are met. It’s possible that “Call Her Daddy” will have to meet or exceed its present number of downloads, or the number will go down. Other elements could be built into the contract too, like a certain number of live events or exclusive programming for the SiriusXM satellite radio network.
It’s also worth noting that the deal is not just for “Call Her Daddy” but for all “current and future shows” in Cooper’s Unwell Network, the hosts of which will all be paid out of the sum as well.
The deal reportedly hands distribution and advertising sales to SiriusXM, although “Call Her Daddy” will not be a SiriusXM exclusive and will continue to be available on all the usual platforms.
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Cooper issued a press statement on her upcoming new partnership, albeit one that doesn’t go into any details about the money she’ll be making as part of it:
“I am beyond excited to work with SiriusXM. 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 contract comes as SiriusXM has been beefing up its podcast network with big names like Conan O’Brien and the “SmartLess” trio of Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, and Sean Hayes, who recently signed a reported $100 million contract with the satellite radio brand. Meanwhile, Spotify has sought to rein in some of its big spending on podcasts, although it did cough up a reported $250 million to keep Rogan in its stable earlier this year.
Cooper launched “Call Her Daddy” in 2018 with her then-roommate Sofia Franklyn. After a couple years with Barstool Sports, Cooper and Franklyn parted ways, only for Cooper to land her historic $60 million Spotify deal in 2021. Now, Cooper is said to be the most popular woman in the podcast business, and with a $125 million SiriusXM contract, she’s almost certainly the highest paid.