OpenAI Acquires Tech News Show TBPN for "Low Hundreds of Millions"
OpenAI bought TBPN, a daily tech news show that streams on YouTube and X, this week in a deal valued in the "low hundreds of millions," according to Financial Times reporting. The founders, John Coogan and Jordi Hays, are selling their 1.5-year-old startup at a significant multiple-the show generated roughly $5 million in revenue in 2025 and was targeting around $30 million this year.
The acquisition caught many in the industry off guard. Some OpenAI employees initially thought it was an April Fools' joke.
What OpenAI Gains
OpenAI gets direct access to media distribution at scale. The company has struggled with its public image for over a year, and TBPN could help reshape how the AI industry is perceived publicly. The deal includes a clause protecting editorial independence, the founders said.
The acquisition may also function as an acqui-hire. TBPN's hosts could fill OpenAI's vacant chief communications officer role, a position left empty when Hannah Wong departed earlier this year. Fidji Simo, OpenAI's CEO of applications, championed the deal internally and has been overseeing the communications department. (Simo announced Friday she would take a planned medical leave for several weeks.)
Public sentiment toward AI remains a strategic concern. Optimism about the technology is considerably lower in the U.S. than in China, raising concerns about America's competitive position in the global AI race. A show with a positive outlook on AI could shift broader narrative perception.
Why Live Video Matters Now
As AI improves at generating video and audio, distinguishing human-created content from AI-fabricated material will become harder. Live broadcasts offer a clear answer: they happen in real time, with no opportunity for AI manipulation.
This acquisition may become a watershed moment for creator exits, similar to the Huffington Post's $315 million sale to AOL. That deal convinced investors that digital media could be a serious business, not just a side project.
For communications professionals, the deal signals that OpenAI sees traditional media distribution and editorial credibility as worth hundreds of millions of dollars-a direct bet that public trust and narrative control matter more than ever in the AI era.
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