Podcasts emerge as a billion-Dollar industry

The podcasting boom shows no signs of slowing down. What began as a niche medium has exploded into a lucrative global market. Alex Cooper’s »Call Her Daddy« isn’t just a podcast – it’s a cultural phenomenon shaping Gen-Z lifestyles. With 13,5 million monthly listeners, the show has now landed a $125 million, three-year deal with Sirius XM (34M subscribers) to anchor her Unwell Network – a move that cements podcasts as the new frontier of entertainment and entrepreneurship.

Launched in April 2023 with her husband, producer Matt Kaplan, Unwell Network is a Gen-Z media powerhouse hosting influencer-driven podcasts. But Cooper’s vision goes far beyond audio: Live events, scripted shows, tours, and merch are already in the works. The Sirius XM deal turbocharges these ambitions, following her previous $60M Spotify contract – proof that podcasting is now a lucrative lifestyle career.

»Spotify grew the brand, but Sirius offers the tools to scale«, says Cooper, who earns $20M annually. The strategy mirrors Sirius’ 2006 bet on Howard Stern ($500M deal), which tripled subscriptions. Now, with Goldman Sachs predicting the podcast market to hit $480B by 2027, Cooper’s pivot signals a new era where creators are the moguls.

The trend isn’t just American: Europe’s creator economy is growing at 22 percent yearly, as audio becomes the ultimate flexible, intimate, and profitable medium for the digital age. For Gen-Z, tuning in isn’t just entertainment – it’s identity.

Podcasts have evolved from niche to mainstream lifestyle hubs, blending storytelling, community, and commerce – with deals like Cooper’s proving they’re the new premium content.

MK