OpenAI Buys Tech Talk Show TBPN in Media Expansion

OpenAI is making an unexpected media move, buying Silicon Valley tech talk show TBPN in a deal reportedly valued in the low hundreds of millions of dollars, according to the Financial Times. The acquisition stands out because it pushes the ChatGPT maker beyond software and deeper into the business of shaping the public conversation around artificial intelligence.

According to the FT, OpenAI has acquired the 11-person Technology Business Programming Network, or TBPN, a fast-rising show that has built a following among startup founders, investors and tech executives since launching in October 2024. Hosted by Jordi Hays and John Coogan, the show has featured high-profile guests including Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. The FT reported that TBPN averages about 70,000 viewers per daily episode and was on pace to generate roughly $30 million in revenue this year, mostly from advertising, before the deal.

OpenAI said TBPN will remain in Los Angeles and continue to operate with editorial independence, even as it comes under the ownership of one of the most influential AI companies in the world. Hays and his team will report to OpenAI’s head of global affairs, Chris Lehane, and the company said they will help with marketing and communications while preserving that editorial separation.

The FT frames the purchase as notable not just because of what OpenAI bought, but because of what it says about the company’s broader ambitions. The deal comes after Fidji Simo, who runs OpenAI’s product business, urged staff in a separate memo to stay focused on core business lines such as ChatGPT and coding tools, writing, “We cannot miss this moment because we are distracted by side quests,” according to the FT. That makes the TBPN acquisition look like more than a standard media buy. It suggests OpenAI sees control of distribution, influence and audience access as part of the AI race itself.

At the same time, OpenAI is signaling that it understands the tension this creates. As the FT reported, Hays said that after getting to know Altman and OpenAI, what stood out was “their openness to feedback and commitment to getting this right.” Altman, for his part, posted on X that he did not expect TBPN to “go any easier on us.”