OpenAI acquires TBPN, the buzzy founder-led business talk show
OpenAI makes its first media acquisition, buying the $30M/year tech talk show where CEOs like Zuckerberg and Altman speak candidly.
OpenAI has made its first foray into media ownership by acquiring TBPN (Technology Business Programming Network), the buzzy, founder-led daily talk show that has become a must-watch in Silicon Valley. Hosted by former tech founders John Coogan and Jordi Hays, the three-hour live show airs on YouTube and X, serving as a candid forum where top CEOs like Mark Zuckerberg, Satya Nadella, and Sam Altman discuss tech, business, AI, and defense. Despite the acquisition, TBPN will continue as its own brand with editorial independence, choosing its own guests and topics. However, it will now operate under OpenAI's strategy team and report to Chris Lehane, the company's chief political operative known for his background in political strategy and crypto industry lobbying.
Financially, TBPN is a significant entity, on track to pull in more than $30 million in revenue this year. OpenAI's leadership, including head of AGI deployment Fidji Simo, views the acquisition as a strategic move to tap into the hosts' "amazing comms and marketing instincts" and scale a platform that can "bring AI to the world." Simo noted that for an atypical company like OpenAI, "the standard communications playbook just doesn't apply." While Sam Altman has stated he doesn't expect TBPN to go easier on OpenAI, the hosts see the move as a shift from commentary to having "real impact" in how AI technology is distributed and understood globally.
- OpenAI's first media acquisition: TBPN, a daily tech talk show with a cult Silicon Valley following and $30M+ annual revenue.
- The show will report to OpenAI's chief strategist Chris Lehane but maintain editorial independence for its programming and guests.
- Leadership aims to leverage the platform for AI communication, citing the need to move beyond the 'standard communications playbook.'
Why It Matters
Signals a major AI player directly entering media to control its narrative and public understanding of transformative technology.