OpenAI is officially a media company, after buying Silicon Valley's favorite podcast TBPN

By Christine Ji

Following a fresh $122 billion funding round, OpenAI makes an acquisition that highlights a strategic pivot

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and TBPN co-founder John Coogan have had a longstanding relationship.

In an unprecedented business move, OpenAI announced Thursday the acquisition of digital media outlet Technology Business Programming Network, also known as TBPN.

The acquisition is OpenAI's first foray into media, and comes just weeks after the Wall Street Journal reported that the company is shelving "side quests" to focus on enterprise applications.

Founded by entrepreneurs Jordi Hays and John Coogan in 2024, TBPN delivers live daily commentary at the intersection of technology and business, and has quickly developed a reputation of being a Silicon Valley "obsession," according to the New York Times. The show has previously hosted high-profile guests such as OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Meta Platforms (META) CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Microsoft (MSFT) CEO Satya Nadella.

"With the mission of bringing [artificial general intelligence] to the world comes a responsibility to help create a space for a real, constructive conversation about the changes AI creates - with builders and people using the technology at the center," OpenAI CEO of applications Fidji Simo said in a company message.

TBPN co-founder Coogan has a relationship with Altman that stretches back to 2013, when they met in the venture-capital world. Coogan called the acquisition a "full-circle moment" in a Thursday X post, adding that "we're excited to have more resources than ever going forward."

Thus far, the show has heavily utilized brand sponsorships and advertising for monetization, with co-hosts Hays and Coogan frequently reading commercials out loud. The acquisition brings TBPN's entire 11-person team into the OpenAI fold.

Read: OpenAI is now bringing in $2 billion a month - and 3 more highlights from its latest update

The TBPN acquisition follows OpenAI's most recent $122 billion funding round earlier this week, which valued the company at $852 billion post-money. OpenAI has been on an aggressive acquisition spree, with the TBPN deal marking the company's seventh since the beginning of the year.

It also comes a week after OpenAI announced that it was shutting down its Sora video generator, which many Wall Street analysts interpreted as a move to divert more resources to its core coding and chatbot products.

Financial details of the TBPN acquisition were not disclosed. According to the Wall Street Journal, TBPN is profitable and is on track to generate $30 million in revenue in 2026.

TBPN will maintain "editorial independence," continuing to host its signature daily live shows and selecting its own guests, according to OpenAI's press release. TBPN will report to OpenAI strategy chief Chris Lehane.

Still, it's unclear how the acquisition will impact the reputation of OpenAI and TBPN going forward. Already, the comments on TBPN's Thursday livestream showed mixed reactions to the acquisition.

YouTube user @mconroy commented the following: "2 reactions 1) super happy for the team, they deserve to get paid for amazing product/company. 2) don't treat audience like fools. it's clear why openai would want to control narrative [sic]."

Buying a media outlet could be interpreted as an attempt by OpenAI to influence its public perception, which has taken a hit recently. OpenAI's dominant position in the chatbot market has been challenged by the rising popularity of Anthropic's Claude. OpenAI's decision to strike a deal with the Pentagon after Anthropic was designated a supply-chain risk has also drawn criticism.

Read: Facing backlash, OpenAI's Sam Altman says he made a 'sloppy' mistake in Pentagon deal

Beyond the drama at OpenAI, AI in general doesn't have a spotless reputation in the eyes of the American public. Some people have been enraged by the outpouring of "AI slop" - or low-effort AI-generated content - populating the internet. That's not to mention the recent buzz around headlines of tech companies' mass layoffs, which have fueled concerns that AI will lead to widespread unemployment.

Read: AI slop is taking over the internet. And it's here to stay.

-Christine Ji

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04-02-26 1552ET