Satellite radio host and guru, Howard Stern, is staring at a major payout to a tune of $120 million a year according to reports. Sirius XM Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:SIRI) is reportedly eager to retain the radio shock jock who has maintained his star power when podcasting is attracting huge listeners.
Stern Hefty pay
Stern contract with Sirius is set to expire at the end of the year, and the satellite radio giant has opened discussion on a potential new deal that could be worth $120 million a year. If approved, the new deal will top out the previous contract, roughly $80 million to $100 million.
The on-air hosts say he is clueless as to the direction the negotiations are going. However, he says he is ready to take a deal worth more than the previous contract. Sirius is serious about retaining Stern as he is one of the reasons behind the success achieved over the past few years. Stern is the Satellite's radio biggest talk host drawing millions of listeners.
Stern's hefty pay speaks of his enduring influence at a time when new audio companies are increasingly focusing on podcasting. Joe Rogan, who is billed as one of the biggest and most popular Podcast hosts, only makes half a fraction of what Stern earns under Spotify's current deal.
Sirius Outlook
According to media outlets, there is a possibility of the salary increase talks falling apart, given that the current Sirius CEO Jim Meyer is poised to retire at the end of the year. There are already reports that Stern could end up leaving Sirius for Spotify, which has built a robust and large podcasting operation that complements its online music service.
While Satellite radio does not generate the same headlines as podcasting, it is attractive for Serious. It continues to generate a big chunk of Sirius cash, given that more than 34 million people pay for a subscription. Sirius generated $7.8 billion in revenues last year and close to $1 billion in profit.