- Updated: April 2, 2026
- 6 min read
OpenAI Acquires TBPN Podcast: AI Media Gains New Voice
–:–:–:– The first StrictlyVC of 2026 lands in San Francisco on April 30. Tickets are limited. Register here. Save up to $680 on your Disrupt 2026 pass. Ends 11:59 p.m. PT tonight. REGISTER NOW.Close Image Credits:TBPN/OpenAI AI OpenAI acquires TBPN, the buzzy founder-led business talk show Rebecca Bellan 12:21 PM PDT · April 2, 2026 OpenAI has acquired popular tech industry talk show TBPN — Technology Business Programming Network — making this the AI giant’s first acquisition of a media company. The show will report to OpenAI’s chief political operative, Chris Lehane.TBPN, hosted by former tech founders John Coogan and Jordi Hays, is a daily live show that airs on YouTube and X for three hours, focusing on tech, business, AI, and defense. The show has gained a cult following in Silicon Valley, a safe space where industry power players can speak candidly and be questioned by fellow insiders.The show has a reputation for being something of a Sports Center for the tech industry — a place where top tech CEOs like Mark Zuckerberg, Satya Nadella, Marc Benioff, and, yes, Sam Altman, come to chop it up, react to the news of the day, and occasionally make some of their own. TBPN will continue to live on as its own brand, which OpenAI will help scale.Not that it necessarily needed help on that front; TBPN has grown into an empire that’s on track to pull in more than $30 million this year, according to The Wall Street Journal. OpenAI already has its own podcast for long-form conversations with the people building tech at the company.OpenAI will also tap the founders’ “amazing comms and marketing instincts” outside the show, according to OpenAI’s head of AGI deployment, Fidji Simo, who said TBPN will “bring AI to the world in a way that helps people understand the full impact of this technology on their daily lives.” Simo went even further, noting that TBPN’s prowess is necessary for an atypical company like OpenAI where “the standard communications playbook just doesn’t apply.” Techcrunch event Disrupt 2026: The tech ecosystem, all in one room Your next round. Your next hire. Your next breakout opportunity. Find it at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, where 10,000+ founders, investors, and tech leaders gather for three days of 250+ tactical sessions, powerful introductions, and market-defining innovation. Register now to save up to $400.Save up to $300 or 30% to TechCrunch Founder Summit 1,000+ founders and investors come together at TechCrunch Founder Summit 2026 for a full day focused on growth, execution, and real-world scaling. Learn from founders and investors who have shaped the industry. Connect with peers navigating similar growth stages. Walk away with tactics you can apply immediatelyOffer ends March 13.San Francisco, CA | October 13-15, 2026 REGISTER NOW She said TBPN will have editorial independence and continue to “run their programming, choose their guests, and make their own editorial decisions.” Still, the acquisition might give some pause. After all, OpenAI is a valuable AI lab on the brink of an IPO buying a buzzy talk show that often discusses the company and its competitors.And once the deal closes, TBPN will operate under OpenAI’s strategy team and report to Chris Lehane, the man who invented the phrase “vast right-wing conspiracy” as a tool to deflect press scrutiny of the Clinton White House. Lehane, who has been described as a master of the “political dark arts,” is also behind the crypto industry super PAC Fairshake, which spent hundreds of millions to kneecap anti-crypto candidates in the 2024 election.He joined OpenAI that same year and has been in President Trump’s ear ever since, whispering recommendations for sweeping and controversial policies like preventing states from regulating AI and easing environmental restrictions that might slow data center construction. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, who said in a social media post that TBPN is his favorite tech show, seems to believe the acquisition won’t change TBPN’s commentary and even criticism of the company.“I don’t expect them to go any easier on us, am sure I’ll do my part to help enable that with occasional stupid decisions,” he wrote. TBPN, meanwhile, sees the acquisition as a means to do more than just commentary. “While we’ve been critical of the industry at times, after getting to know Sam and the OpenAI team, what stood out most was their openness to feedback and commitment to getting this right,” Hays said in a statement.“Moving from commentary to real impact in how this technology is distributed and understood globally is incredibly important to us.” Got a tip or documents about the AI industry? From a non-work device, contact Rebecca Bellan confidentially at rebecca.bellan@techcrunch.com or Signal: rebeccabellan.491.Topics AI, Chris Lehane, Media & Entertainment, OpenAI, sam altman, tbpn Rebecca Bellan Senior Reporter Rebecca Bellan is a senior reporter at TechCrunch where she covers the business, policy, and emerging trends shaping artificial intelligence. Her work has also appeared in Forbes, Bloomberg, The Atlantic, The Daily Beast, and other publications. You can contact or verify outreach from Rebecca by emailing rebecca.bellan@techcrunch.com or via encrypted message at rebeccabellan.491 on Signal.View Bio April 30 San Francisco, CA StrictlyVC kicks off the year in SF. Get in the room for unfiltered fireside chats with industry leaders, insider VC insights, and high-value connections that actually move the needle. 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OpenAI’s recent acquisition of the TBPN podcast marks a strategic move into the creator‑focused media space, promising to blend cutting‑edge AI technology with high‑quality business conversation. The deal, announced on TechCrunch, outlines OpenAI’s intent to keep the show’s editorial independence while leveraging its platform for broader audience reach.
Chris Lehane, a veteran political strategist and former senior advisor to OpenAI, will continue to serve as the show’s host, ensuring continuity and credibility. Lehane emphasized that TBPN will retain its “independent voice” and remain free from direct product promotion, focusing instead on insightful discussions about AI, entrepreneurship, and the future of work.
The partnership also includes a series of live events and cross‑promotions with OpenAI’s developer conferences, giving TBPN listeners exclusive access to AI breakthroughs and industry leaders.
Read the full story on TechCrunch. For more insights on AI media and related topics, explore our internal resources:
Andrii Bidochko
CTO UBOS
Andrii Bidochko is an AI entrepreneur and researcher focused on AI agents, reinforcement learning, and autonomous systems. He writes about the technologies shaping the future of machine intelligence, from frontier models and agent architectures to real-world AI applications.