OpenAI is making an unexpected media move, purchasing Silicon Valley tech talk show TBPN in a deal said to be worth 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 realm of shaping the public conversation around AI.
According to the Financial Times, OpenAI has acquired the 11-person Technology Business Programming Network, or TBPN, a fast-growing show that has built a fan base among startup founders, investors and tech executives since its launch in October 2024. Hosted by Geordie Hayes and John Kogan, the show has hosted high-profile guests including Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. TBPN averages about 70,000 viewers per daily episode, and was on track to generate revenue of about $30 million this year, mostly from advertising, before the deal, the Financial Times reported.
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TBPN will remain in Los Angeles and continue to operate with editorial independence, even as it becomes owned by one of the world’s most influential AI companies, OpenAI said. Hayes 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 maintaining that editorial separation.
The Financial Times considers the purchase noteworthy, not just because of what OpenAI has 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 employees in a separate memo to stay focused on core business lines like ChatGPT and programming tools, writing: “We cannot miss this moment because we are distracted by side tasks,” he wrote, according to the Financial Times. This makes the TBPN acquisition look like more than just a standard media buy. This suggests that OpenAI sees control over distribution, influence, and audience reach as part of the AI race itself.
At the same time, OpenAI notes that it understands the tension this creates. As the Financial Times reported, Hayes said that after getting to know Altman and OpenAI, what stood out was “their openness to feedback and commitment to getting this right.” For his part, Altman posted on X that he doesn’t expect TBPN to “go easy on us.”
