SiriusXM has bought comedian Conan O’Brien’s podcasting company for $150 million in a massive media acquisition announced on Monday.
The acquisition of Team Coco, O’Brien’s company includes his hit podcast “Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend”, as well as the podcast network and digital media business run by O’Brien. Current Team Coco staff will continue to produce the network’s slate of popular podcasts, as well as collaborate on content for SiriusXM, the company said in its announcement.
The Wall Street Journal Monday reported the multi-year contract was valued at around $150 million.
“When I started in television, my ultimate goal was to progress to radio,” O’Brien said. “This new contract with SiriusXM builds on the excellent relationship that began several years ago with a team that stands out in its field.”
Scott Greenstein, president and chief content officer of SiriusXM, said O’Brien has “built an incredible brand and organization at Team Coco with a proven track record of finding and launching engaging and addictive podcasts.”
The former talk show host ended his late-night run last year, ending on TBS after more than 4,000 episodes of ‘Late Night’, ‘The Tonight Show’ and ‘Conan’, and has since launched Team Coco, a production and podcasting company. named after fans who rallied to his side amid controversy over the hosting gig on “The Tonight Show.”
