Stars from Hollywood, sports, comedy and beyond are finding huge financial success as they continue to share stories behind the microphone.
With more and more pop culture consumers around the world streaming podcasts as voraciously as music, TV and film, companies like Spotify, SiriusXM and Amazon are willing to pay big bucks to secure top-tier talent.
In August 2024 alone, “Call Her Daddy” podcast host Alex Cooper signed a massive agreement with SiriusXM. In addition, NFL players Jason Kelce and Travis Kelce signed a reported 9-figure deal to continue their “New Heights” podcast.
“We love this show, and the fanbase that has grown with us over the last two seasons,” the brothers said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter before acknowledging the nickname for their listeners. “We are thrilled to start Season 3 — see you soon, 92%ers!”
Keep reading to see how much some of your favorite podcast hosts are making as they deliver new content to listeners:
Alex Cooper
In August 2024, news broke that the “Call Her Daddy” podcast host signed an agreement with SiriusXM, giving the platform exclusive advertising and distribution rights, as well as other content and events. The multi-year deal is worth $125 million across three years, CNN reported. It’s more than double her previous deal with Spotify.
SiriusXM also received exclusive global ad sales rights to all editions of Cooper’s Unwell Network, which includes podcasts like “Hot Mess with Alix Earle,” “Pretty Lonesome with Madeline Argy,” “Boyfriend Material with Harry Jowsey” and “In Your Dreams with Owen Thiele.”
“THANK YOU @siriusxm,” Cooper wrote via Instagram. “DADDY GANG GET READY. WE ARE AVAILABLE EVERYWHERE AND DOING IT EVEN BIGGER IN 2025.”
Jason and Travis Kelce
Less than two weeks before the NFL officially kicked off their 2024 regular season, the Kelce brothers signed a nine-figure deal with podcast studio Wondery for the rights to their popular “New Heights” podcast, according to a report published by The Hollywood Reporter.
The deal is said to include global distribution rights to the popular podcast, ad-sales representation, rights to past episodes and the right to launch international adaptations of the podcast.
“We couldn’t be more excited to team up with Wondery for the next phase of ‘New Heights,’” Travis and Jason said in a statement to the outlet. “Wondery understands the shared vision and will offer a wealth of experience and resources to take us to ‘New Heights!’ We are going to create some groundbreaking moments together through this partnership.”
Dax Shepard
Amazon’s podcast company Wondery inked an exclusive distribution and ad-sales deal for the “Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard” in July 2024. The agreement called for Wondery and “Armchair Expert” to co-develop and produce two new podcasts for fans and one livestream per year.
The deal also includes a first-look option for any additional new podcasts created by actor Shepard. Financial terms weren’t announced, but Wall Street Journal said the deal was worth about $80 million.
Joe Rogan
In February 2024, the host of “The Joe Rogan Experience” podcast and Spotify entered a new deal worth up to $250 million, according to the Wall Street Journal. The agreement would allow the show on other platforms after its exclusive 4-year run on Spotify.
Under the licensing agreement, Spotify will also sell ads for and distribute “The Joe Rogan Experience” across several podcast platforms, including in a video format on YouTube.
Sean Hayes, Will Arnett and Jason Bateman
In January 2024, the actors left Amazon to take their “SmartLess” podcast to SiriusXM for a three-year deal reportedly valued at $100 million.
“At SiriusXM, we are proud to be home to the stars, and with Jason, Sean and Will joining us, that statement has never been more true,” SiriusXM President Scott Greenstein said in a statement. “Over the past several years, we have doubled down on our commitment to podcasting, and with the addition of ‘SmartLess,’ we are strengthening our leadership position in podcasting.”
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
In late 2020, The Sussexes inked a $20 million agreement with Spotify after leaving their senior roles within the royal family. Their exclusive partnership promised to “produce programming that uplifts and entertains audiences around the world” and “spotlight diverse perspectives and voices,” per the Archewell Audio website.
Markle later launched “Archetypes,” during which she conducted interviews with a variety of guests including Mariah Carey and Mindy Kaling. The series aired 12 episodes from August 2022 to November 2022.
In June 2023, the streaming giant and Archewell Audio confirmed they had “mutually agreed to part ways and are proud of the series we made together.”
Markle later found a new podcast partner with Lemonada in February 2024.
