OpenAI acquires tech talk show TBPN, venturing into the media business

The maker of ChatGPT said it has acquired TBPN, an online talk show that competes with the likes of Bloomberg and CNBC in the analysis of technology news and executive interviews. OpenAI has not disclosed the terms of the transaction.

TBPN has gotten popular amongst Silicon Valley power players. While its audience remains modest, averaging around 70,000 viewers per episode, it has hosted tech heavyweights such as Mark Zuckerberg, Microsoft’s Satya Nadella, and OpenAI’s Sam Altman.

Launched in the year 2024, the company started streaming for three hours each weekday in March 2025. While the podcast and streaming business has a skeletal crew behind it, it has been able to generate $5 million in revenue from advertising alone last year. As per the company, it was on track to earn more than $30 million in revenue in 2026.

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Under the new leadership, TBPN will now report to Chris Lethane, OpenAI’s chief global affairs officer, and will help with company communications and marketing outside the show. While the whole team will now work under new leadership, editorially they would be left independent, retaining full control of the programming, editorial decisions, guest selection, and production schedule, as per OpenAI.

Under the new leadership, TBPN will slow down its advertising business. The decision comes after Coogan and Hays had previously highlighted that they were not building a brand for sale. As per a Wall Street Journal report, they were won over by the promise of expanding the show’s audience and being able to scale production level and capabilities.

The decision comes as OpenAI is planning a strategic shift to concentrate on serving developers and businesses, recently shutting down the Sora video generation app, only months after its introduction.