NEW YORK, NY – Alex Cooper, host of the wildly popular ‘Call Her Daddy’ podcast, has completed a strategic evolution from a controversial content creator into the head of a burgeoning media network, establishing a new and potentially disruptive model in the creator economy.
- Landmark Streaming Deal – In 2021, Cooper signed a three-year exclusive licensing deal with Spotify reportedly valued at over $60 million, one of the largest ever for a solo podcast creator.
- Intellectual Property Ownership – A pivotal moment in her career was securing the full intellectual property rights to the ‘Call Her Daddy’ brand following a public dispute with former employer Barstool Sports.
- Expansion into a Network – In 2023, Cooper launched The Unwell Network, a media company that signs other prominent creators, marking her transition from a personality to a media executive.
Cooper’s trajectory offers a powerful case study in modern media, demonstrating how personality-driven content, when combined with shrewd business strategy, can challenge established industry structures. Her journey from a single podcast to a multi-million dollar enterprise raises key questions about the future of entertainment.
Why the $60 Million Deal is the Real Story
It’s easy to focus on the controversy and candid conversations that made ‘Call Her Daddy’ a household name. The most disruptive part of Alex Cooper’s story, however, isn’t found in a podcast episode—it’s written on a contract. The reported $60 million Spotify deal wasn’t just a massive payday; it was a market-altering event that placed a valuation on a single creator that rivals traditional studios. That number tells a much bigger story about a fundamental power shift in the entertainment industry.
Read On…
Below, we break down the key business decisions—from securing intellectual property to launching a network—that turned a hit podcast into a new kind of media empire.
What Was the Battle for ‘Call Her Daddy’?
The foundation of Alex Cooper’s empire was built on a critical business decision: owning her brand. ‘Call Her Daddy’ launched in 2018 under the Barstool Sports umbrella, quickly gaining a massive following for its candid and often provocative discussions about relationships and sex. The show’s value became the center of a public 2020 dispute between Cooper, her original co-host Sofia Franklyn, and Barstool founder Dave Portnoy.
While Franklyn departed, Cooper negotiated a new deal that ultimately granted her sole control and ownership of the ‘Call Her Daddy’ intellectual property (IP). This move was fundamental. Without ownership of the brand, a large-scale independent deal would have been impossible, highlighting a crucial lesson for other creators: the value is not just in the content, but in the ownership of the brand that produces it.
How Did a $60 Million Deal Reshape Podcasting?
Armed with her IP, Cooper capitalized on the podcasting gold rush. In June 2021, she signed an exclusive licensing deal with Spotify for a reported $60 million over three years. The sheer size of the deal sent a shockwave through the media industry. It placed a personality-driven podcast on the same financial tier as major celebrity and studio-produced projects.
What did this signal to the market? The deal affirmed that a single creator with a loyal, dedicated audience could be as valuable to a platform as a catalogue of shows from a traditional production house. It was a massive validation of the direct-to-audience model and shifted negotiating power further into the hands of top-tier creators who could prove their ability to drive subscriptions and engagement.
What Is The Unwell Network?
Rather than simply continuing as a highly-paid creator, Cooper’s next move was to build her own media infrastructure. In 2023, she launched The Unwell Network, a talent network and production company aimed at developing projects for a new generation of creators.
The company made immediate headlines by signing two of the internet’s most prominent personalities: TikTok star Alix Earle and influencer Madeline Argy. This strategy is clear: use the established ‘Call Her Daddy’ platform as a launchpad and promotional engine for new talent, creating a self-sustaining ecosystem. By becoming the platform herself, Cooper is no longer just participating in the creator economy; she is actively building a new version of a media studio, one that is creator-centric and bypasses many of the traditional industry gatekeepers. This move from creator to mogul represents the latest and most significant phase of the “Alex Cooper Effect.”
The Creator-as-Studio Blueprint
Alex Cooper’s path from podcaster to network executive is more than just a remarkable success story; it’s a new blueprint for the creator economy. By combining a fiercely protected brand with a landmark streaming deal, she has inverted the traditional media hierarchy. The launch of The Unwell Network signals a pivotal shift where top-tier creators are no longer just the talent—they are becoming the new studios, challenging the very definition of a media company in the modern age.
