Spotify is losing one of its biggest video draws as Alex Cooper’s Call Her Daddy announces its video versions will now only be available on YouTube. The move, which follows a multiyear deal signed by Cooper and SiriusXM worth a reported $125 million, will allow for more ad revenue to be booked since YouTube allows for heavier ad loads.
“I’m very excited for you to see what’s coming,” Cooper says in an Instagram post. She says the shift to YouTube will allow for new content, new shows and new faces — but didn’t offer any details. The video versions of other shows on Cooper’s Unwell Network will also make the move to YouTube, including Hot Mess with Alix Earle, Pretty Lonesome with Madeline Argy, Boyfriend Material with Harry Jowsey, and Owen Thiele’s In Your Dreams.
Cooper’s three-year deal with Spotify expired in January 2024 and the audio version of Call Her Daddy became widely distributed across all podcast apps even as Spotify held onto exclusive rights to the video version of the show for the past year. At the time, it said the podcast is among its most popular shows with women users of its app.
After several months of courting new partners, Cooper announced last August that she inked an extensive exclusive content deal with SiriusXM that will see the company pick up the exclusive advertising and distribution rights, content, events, and more for Alex Cooper’s flagship podcast, as well the shows produced by Cooper’s Unwell Network. Terms of the deal were not released, but reports have suggested it could be worth as much as $125 million.
While YouTube allows SiriusXM to sell more advertising and better monetize its investment into Call Her Daddy, the jump to YouTube offers Cooper a potentially larger reach for her show. YouTube said last month that viewers watched over 400 million hours of podcasts monthly on living room devices during 2024. “They’ve been tuning into podcasts similarly to how one would tune into a late-night talk show,” said Kurt Wilms, Senior Director, Product Management for YouTube on TV.
Cooper Programming Hits Satellite Radio
Meantime, Cooper’s Unwell Network will begin producing new content exclusive to SiriusXM’s satellite radio service. SiriusXM says it will debut on a pair of satellite radio channels with live content that will mix conversations and music.
Curated by Cooper, Unwell Music is described as an “ever-evolving mixtape” featuring the songs that have scored her life, blending nostalgic pop anthems with contemporary hits with artists ranging from Beyoncé and Miley Cyrus to Tate McRae and Sabrina Carpenter. The high-energy mix will also include Cooper’s personal commentary and behind-the-scenes stories.
Cooper and the Unwell Network are also creating new “Unwell On Air” features, which SiriusXM says will deliver a live and curated pulse on what’s trending and go beyond featuring highlights from the Unwell Network’s hit podcasts. It includes the “Dialed In” show, where listeners can call in to join the conversation on relationship problems, friendship drama, or spicing things up in the bedroom. The show is hosted by Rachel Friedman and Montaine. New episodes will air Monday-Friday at 7pm ET.
Cooper is also producing a program called “The Daily Dirty.” The pop-culture show will offer its take on the biggest moments of the day. Hosted by Sequoia Holmes, Fiona Shea and Hannah Kosh, the show will air Monday-Friday at 6pm ET.
The Unwell team is also working on a new weekly recap show that will be launching this summer hosted by Chloe Veitch.
“I’m constantly trying to find new ways to interact with my audience and with Unwell Music and Unwell On Air, I’m able to deliver brand new daily live shows and playlists curated specifically by me,” Cooper says in a statement.
Unwell Music will be available to subscribers across North America in their cars on SiriusXM (channel 3). Other Unwell On Air programming will air on SiriusXM’s Stars station (channel 109). Each will also be available on the SiriusXM app.
“Alex Cooper and her Unwell brand continue to be at the vanguard of pop culture with their authentic and unfiltered approach,” says Scott Greenstein, President and Chief Content Officer at SiriusXM. “With the launch of Unwell Music and Unwell On Air, Alex is creating something that is only possible through the power of SiriusXM: a live 24/7 audio destination for her fans to immerse themselves further into her world.”
Commenti