Call Her Daddy (October 2018) is a sex, relationships, and lifestyle podcast created by Alexandra Cooper and Sofia Franklyn that became podcasting’s biggest controversy and business case study after a 2020 contract dispute, Cooper’s solo continuation, and Spotify’s reported $60 million exclusive deal—demonstrating podcast IP’s value and creator power dynamics.

Launch and Format

Barstool Sports launched Call Her Daddy as explicit sex/relationship advice podcast targeting young women. Cooper and Franklyn’s unfiltered discussions about hookup culture, sexual techniques, dating strategies, and female friendship resonated with Gen Z/millennial women tired of sanitized relationship advice. The show’s crude humor and sex-positive framing (discussing oral sex techniques graphically) distinguished it from traditional women’s podcasts.

Within months, Call Her Daddy topped podcast charts, generating millions in ad revenue for Barstool. The hosts’ chemistry—Cooper’s confidence and Franklyn’s sarcasm—created dynamic that felt like friends sharing secrets. Topics included: “gluck gluck 9000” (oral sex technique that became meme), ghosting strategies, manipulating men, and toxic relationship patterns discussed with humor and zero moralizing.

The Barstool Divorce (2020)

May 2020: Cooper and Franklyn announced hiatus amid contract renegotiation. Barstool founder Dave Portnoy publicly feuded with hosts and their manager/Franklyn’s boyfriend Peter Nelson. The dispute exposed podcasting’s creator-ownership tensions:

• Original contract: Barstool owned IP, hosts earned salary + bonuses
• Hosts wanted: ownership stake, higher pay, creative control
• Spotify/HBO Max offers: $1M+ for hosts, but Barstool owned trademark

Portnoy’s public attacks (calling hosts ungrateful, releasing private negotiations) demonstrated how podcast networks controlled creators. The drama unfolded via Instagram stories, YouTube videos, and blog posts—modern media warfare.

Resolution and Spotify Deal

June 2020: Cooper returned solo, Franklyn departed. Barstool granted Cooper new deal with more creative control but retained IP ownership. The show rebuilt audience quickly, demonstrating Cooper’s star power eclipsed partnership.

December 2021: Spotify paid reported $60 million for exclusive Call Her Daddy rights—among podcasting’s largest deals. The contract gave Cooper ownership after term completion, reversing Barstool’s perpetual control. The deal validated Cooper’s strategy and demonstrated top podcasters’ leverage.

Format Evolution

Solo Cooper shifted content from explicit sex comedy to celebrity interviews maintaining show’s provocative energy. Guests included Miley Cyrus, Hailey Bieber, Gwyneth Paltrow discussing relationships, sex, mental health candidly. The evolution expanded audience beyond hookup culture demographics while maintaining brand identity.

Cultural Impact

Call Her Daddy normalized explicit sexual discussions among women, challenged double standards about female sexuality, and demonstrated young women’s willingness to support unfiltered content. Critics argued the show reinforced toxic dating strategies and heteronormative frameworks, while defenders noted empowering women’s sexual agency.

The Barstool divorce became podcasting’s most-discussed business story, illustrating creator exploitation and eventual empowerment arc that influenced subsequent podcast contracts.

Legacy

Call Her Daddy proved female-led sex podcasts could dominate charts, demonstrated podcast IP’s value ($60M Spotify deal), and showed creators could reclaim power from exploitative contracts. Cooper’s success validated risky holdout strategies and encouraged podcasters to demand ownership.

Sources: The New York Times, Spotify press releases, Barstool Sports statements, The Ringer, Dave Portnoy videos