Media Company Secures First Outside Investment as Cooper Builds a Broader Entertainment Business Around Her Creator Brand
Alex Cooper, the host of the hit podcast Call Her Daddy, has secured outside investment for her media company Unwell, valuing the business at $500 million and marking a major step in Cooper’s effort to build a broader entertainment empire.
The investment comes from WTSL, the media and sports investment firm founded by former Endeavor executive Patrick Whitesell and Jason Lublin. The deal represents Unwell’s first outside investment and gives the company additional capital to expand beyond podcasting into a wider collection of entertainment and media businesses.
The transaction demonstrates how successful creators are increasingly being viewed as media companies in their own right, with audiences, distribution platforms and commercial opportunities that can extend far beyond a single show.
Unwell Targets Broader Entertainment Expansion
Unwell was founded in 2023 by Alex Cooper and Matt Kaplan under the holding company Trending.
The business combines Cooper’s creator-driven media platform with Kaplan’s Hollywood production expertise through ACE Entertainment, the production company behind projects including Netflix’s To All the Boys franchise and XO, Kitty.
That combination gives Unwell a foundation that goes well beyond podcast production.
The company can potentially develop podcasts, television projects, advertising campaigns, consumer products and other entertainment ventures while using Cooper’s large audience as a distribution advantage.
The latest investment is expected to help Unwell pursue acquisitions and make additional investments as it expands.
WTSL Backs the Creator Economy
WTSL’s investment gives Unwell a partner with extensive experience across entertainment and media.
The firm was founded in 2024 by Patrick Whitesell and Jason Lublin and has backing from Silver Lake. Its focus includes media, entertainment and sports.
Whitesell previously held a senior role at Endeavor, giving him extensive experience working with Hollywood talent, media companies and major entertainment businesses.
That background could be particularly valuable to Unwell as it attempts to move from a creator-led company toward a more diversified entertainment platform.
The partnership therefore provides more than financial capital.
It gives Cooper access to investors with experience in building and scaling media businesses.
Call Her Daddy Remains the Core Asset
At the center of Unwell’s success is Call Her Daddy, the podcast hosted by Cooper.
The show has grown from its origins as a relationship and dating podcast into a much broader interview and culture platform.
Cooper has interviewed major public figures and celebrities, helping transform the program into one of the most recognizable creator-led media brands.
The podcast’s popularity provides Unwell with a powerful foundation because the company already has direct access to a large and highly engaged audience.
That audience can potentially be introduced to new podcasts, products, entertainment projects and commercial partnerships developed by the wider company.
Unwell Reaches Millions of Women
Unwell says its platform reaches approximately 70 million women each month, according to statements surrounding the investment.
That audience is a major asset for the company.
Traditional entertainment businesses often have to spend heavily on advertising to build audiences for new shows and products.
Unwell can potentially use its existing creator ecosystem to introduce new offerings directly to millions of consumers.
The ability to combine audience ownership with content production is becoming increasingly valuable in the modern media industry.
Cooper Has Already Expanded Beyond Podcasting
The new investment follows several moves by Cooper to expand her business interests.
Unwell has launched additional podcasts and pursued commercial partnerships with major brands.
The company also established Unwell Creative Agency, designed to help brands develop content and marketing campaigns aimed at younger audiences.
The agency has worked with companies including Google, demonstrating how Cooper’s audience and understanding of Gen Z and millennial consumers can be translated into advertising opportunities.
This expansion suggests that Cooper is building Unwell as a diversified media company rather than relying entirely on podcast advertising revenue.
SiriusXM Partnership Strengthens the Business
Unwell also has an important distribution relationship with SiriusXM.
In 2024, SiriusXM announced a multiyear agreement with Cooper that included exclusive content, distribution and advertising rights involving Call Her Daddy and other Unwell programming. The deal was reported as potentially worth as much as $125 million.
That agreement provided Unwell with significant financial backing while giving SiriusXM access to Cooper’s rapidly expanding audience.
The partnership also demonstrated how major media companies are willing to pay substantial sums for established creator brands with strong audiences.
Creator Brands Become Investment Targets
The $500 million valuation highlights a broader shift in the media industry.
Creators who once depended primarily on advertising revenue from individual platforms are increasingly building businesses around their audiences.
The most successful creators can now develop companies involving podcasts, television, advertising, merchandise, events, consumer products and intellectual property.
Investors are consequently beginning to value creators not simply as individual personalities but as owners of valuable media ecosystems.
Cooper’s strategy is an example of this transition.
Rather than allowing the value of Call Her Daddy to remain concentrated in one podcast, she is using the show’s audience to build a much larger company.
Hollywood Expertise Could Accelerate Growth
Matt Kaplan’s involvement provides another important advantage.
Kaplan has extensive experience producing films and television projects through ACE Entertainment.
His production background could help Unwell translate creator-led concepts into traditional entertainment formats.
That creates opportunities for podcasts and digital personalities to become television series, films or other forms of entertainment.
The combination of Cooper’s audience-building skills and Kaplan’s Hollywood production experience could therefore give Unwell a distinctive position between the creator economy and traditional entertainment.
Acquisitions Could Become a Major Strategy
Cooper said the investment from WTSL will help accelerate Unwell’s growth through acquisitions and investments.
That could significantly change the company’s scale over the coming years.
Instead of developing every new business internally, Unwell could acquire existing podcasts, media companies, production businesses or consumer brands.
Acquisitions would allow the company to expand its portfolio more quickly while bringing new audiences and intellectual property into the Unwell ecosystem.
For investors, that strategy also creates the possibility of turning Unwell into a larger entertainment group.
Trust Becomes a Valuable Business Asset
One of the most important advantages Cooper has built is the relationship between creator and audience.
Cooper has described trust as a critical part of Unwell’s distribution strategy, emphasizing the company’s connection with millions of women each month.
That relationship can be valuable to advertisers and business partners.
Consumers may be more receptive to products, entertainment and recommendations delivered through personalities they already follow.
For Unwell, maintaining that trust will be crucial as the company expands into more commercial categories.
Competition in Digital Media Remains Intense
Despite its growth, Unwell operates in an increasingly competitive media environment.
Podcasts, YouTube channels, social-media creators and traditional entertainment companies are all competing for consumers’ limited attention.
Major technology platforms also control much of the distribution infrastructure.
That means Unwell must continue producing compelling content while ensuring that its expanding portfolio does not weaken the connection between Cooper and her audience.
The company will also need to demonstrate that its valuation can be supported by sustainable revenue growth.
$500 Million Valuation Sets a New Benchmark
The $500 million valuation represents a significant milestone for a company launched only a few years ago.
It reflects investor confidence in Cooper’s ability to turn a successful podcast into a much broader entertainment business.
The valuation also illustrates the financial power of a large, loyal digital audience.
For traditional media companies, building such an audience can take years and require substantial investment.
Unwell began with an established creator relationship and has attempted to build commercial infrastructure around it.
Looking Ahead
The investment in Alex Cooper’s Unwell at a $500 million valuation marks another major step in the evolution of creator-led media companies.
With WTSL providing its first outside investment, Unwell now has additional capital and industry expertise to pursue acquisitions, investments and new entertainment opportunities.
The company already has a powerful foundation through Call Her Daddy, Cooper’s broader creator platform and Kaplan’s Hollywood production capabilities.
Its relationship with SiriusXM provides another important commercial and distribution channel, while the Unwell Creative Agency creates opportunities in advertising and branded entertainment.
The biggest challenge will be turning audience reach into a diversified and sustainable business without weakening the creator connection that made the company successful in the first place.
If Cooper can successfully expand Unwell across podcasts, advertising, film, television and other entertainment businesses, the company could become a significant example of how individual creators are transforming into full-scale media companies.
For now, the $500 million valuation signals that investors see substantial value in Cooper’s audience, brand and ability to build businesses around the creator economy.
