OpenAI Purchases Tech Talk Show ‘TBPN’ for a Boost in Positive Coverage

OpenAI announced on Thursday that it has acquired the online business talk show TBPN for an undisclosed amount. This acquisition comes at a time when OpenAI is facing challenges regarding its public image, which has notably declined in recent months.

Since its launch in 2024, TBPN has gained traction among Silicon Valley audiences by providing a daily livestream focused on the technology sector that is perceived as more favorable than traditional media outlets. The hosts, John Coogan and Jordi Hays, deliver real-time insights on breaking news, highlight viral social media trends, and interview executives from companies like Meta, Salesforce, Palantir, and OpenAI. The show has become especially favored among OpenAI employees and various AI researchers, many of whom are avid users of the social media platform X.

It remains perplexing how a media startup aligns with OpenAI’s primary businesses, which include selling ChatGPT, Codex, and a new super app still in development for both consumers and enterprises. In March, during an all-hands meeting, OpenAI’s applications CEO, Fidji Simo, informed staff that the company needed to discontinue side projects and concentrate on its main goals.

In a memo to employees announcing the acquisition, Simo noted that typical communication strategies do not suit OpenAI. “We’re not a typical company,” she stated in the memo, which was also shared in a blog post. “We’re facilitating a significant technological transformation. With the goal of introducing AGI to the world, we have a responsibility to foster meaningful dialogue about the impacts of AI—centering builders and users of the technology.”

TBPN is relatively small compared to OpenAI. The media company reported $5 million in ad revenue last year and is projected to exceed $30 million in revenue by 2026, as per The Wall Street Journal. The show reportedly attracts approximately 70,000 viewers per episode across various platforms. An insider close to OpenAI mentioned that the company doesn’t expect TBPN to provide financial benefits, though it will aid OpenAI’s communication strategy.

OpenAI has faced heightened public scrutiny recently. Following the company’s agreement with the Department of Defense in February, Anthropic’s Claude gained significant downloads and became the leading free app on Apple’s platform. Moreover, OpenAI’s leadership is contending with the growing QuitGPT movement, consisting of individuals pledging to avoid OpenAI products. Greg Brockman, OpenAI’s president, cited challenges to AI’s popularity as a key reason for increased political expenditures.

This acquisition positions OpenAI among other Silicon Valley companies attempting to establish and operate news platforms. Over the past few decades, numerous tech leaders have acquired media organizations, including Jeff Bezos’s purchase of The Washington Post, Marc Benioff’s acquisition of Time magazine, and Robinhood’s acquisition of the newsletter service MarketSnacks. Each of these acquisitions raised immediate concerns regarding the potential independence of these outlets. In her memo, Simo assured employees that TBPN will maintain editorial independence.

“TBPN is my favorite tech show. We want them to keep doing what they do best,” said OpenAI CEO Sam Altman in a post on X. “I don’t anticipate them to ease up on us, and I’m sure I’ll contribute my share of occasional poor decisions to that.”

OpenAI stated that TBPN will continue to “manage their programming, select their guests, and make their own editorial choices,” according to Simo’s memo. The company also mentioned that TBPN will report directly to OpenAI’s VP of global affairs, Chris Lehane. WIRED previously reported on the challenges faced by an economic research team under Lehane in addressing AI’s adverse effects on the economy.