Podcast host and entrepreneur Alex Cooper, already known for her Spotify exclusive Call Her Daddy, has expanded her business relationship with the streaming giant. A new deal between Spotify and Cooper’s Unwell Network will cover ad sales and distribution for the network’s podcasts, targeting Gen Z audiences.
Spotify will monetize Unwell’s podcasts through its direct sales channels and the Spotify Audience Network. The network’s initial podcasts, Hot Mess With Alix Earle and Pretty Lonesome With Madeline Argy, will be hosted and distributed through Spotify’s Megaphone enterprise podcast platform. There is potential for the partnership to extend to future series produced by the Unwell Network.
Unwell Network operates as a subsidiary of Trending, a company co-founded by Cooper and her fiancé, ACE Entertainment CEO Matt Kaplan. The deal was facilitated by United Talent Agency, which represents Cooper.
Both initial podcasts have shown promising performance. Hot Mess With Alix Earle premiered on September 21 and rapidly ascended to the top of Spotify’s US podcast charts, as well as taking the No. 1 spot in several other countries. Pretty Lonesome With Madeline Argy debuted on October 2, peaking at various top spots in Spotify’s podcast charts in Australia, the UK, and the US.
