Howard Stern has not been ousted from SiriusXM; instead, he remains deeply entrenched in negotiations for a new contract with the satellite radio giant. Amidst swirling rumors about his potential retirement or non-renewal at the company, Stern took to the airwaves on Monday to set the record straight, revealing that he and his team have been actively discussing the terms of a possible new deal at SiriusXM and what that future might entail.
“SiriusXM and my team have been engaging in discussions about how we move forward,” Stern stated. “They’ve approached me, sat down with me as they typically do, and they’ve been absolutely fantastic. We’ve been in talks,” he added.
The rumors, he noted, have attracted a slew of other suitors for his show. Nevertheless, Stern emphasized his contentment at SiriusXM, stating, “I’m very happy here.” He then addressed the swirling headlines, including those suggesting his departure was due to animosity over the hiring of podcaster Alex Cooper. Contrary to these claims, Stern expressed his support for her recruitment, noting that as a shareholder in the company, he’s keen on boosting subscriber numbers.
“I don’t know Alex Cooper,” Stern remarked. “And if she’s young and bubbly, God bless her because I’m the antithesis of that.”
Dispelling rumors that he had been fired for being “too woke,” Stern categorically denied them, stating there was “zero truth” to such assertions. He also read aloud headlines that insinuated jealousy over Andy Cohen’s promotion at SiriusXM overshadowing his own.
“None of this is happening. None of it is true. Zero truth,” Stern declared emphatically.
“What irks me is that now I can’t even consider retiring,” Stern quipped. “I’ve been mulling over retirement, but now I can’t.”
This summer, rumors had swirled that SiriusXM was reluctant to renew Stern’s contract, citing his hefty price tag and less frequent broadcasting schedule. Stern, 71, has long been rumored to be on the verge of retirement after a storied career as a talk show host. He had vowed to “reveal all” on September 2, only to postpone his return until September 8.
Stern’s current five-year deal is set to expire at the end of 2025 and was reportedly worth $100 million annually. SiriusXM retains the rights to Stern’s extensive back catalog through 2027.
Each time Stern’s contract renewal looms, the outspoken host has fueled the rumor mill by discussing the negotiations and even teasing his potential departure.
To that effect, Stern’s show kicked off on Monday with a prank featuring Cohen taking over the airwaves and implying that Stern had been fired and that it was now his channel.
“This is, I know, not the voice you anticipated hearing. This is not the voice you likely desired, but it’s me, Andy Cohen, and this marks our inaugural broadcast on Channel 100,” Cohen joked, dubbing it “Andy 100.” “I understand you’re awaiting a major announcement from Howard, and this isn’t how things were supposed to unfold.”
Stern eventually grabbed the microphone after a musical introduction that included the ominous line, “This could be the end of the Stern show.” He explained that he had missed the previous week due to illness after attending a Metallica concert at the Stephen Talkhouse in the Hamptons and had lost his voice. He continues to battle a cold, which he noted might impact his broadcasting schedule for the week. This led to numerous inquiries about whether he had been fired.
“If I get fired, don’t bother writing to me,” Stern quipped.
Since joining SiriusXM in 2006, Stern’s show has been a cornerstone of the radio behemoth’s programming and a major draw for subscribers (although the company has not disclosed precise listenership figures). In 2020, Credit Suisse analyst Brian Russ estimated that 15 percent of Stern’s listeners might cancel their SiriusXM subscriptions if he departed, potentially resulting in “a subscriber loss of 2.7 million.”
Several listeners called in on Monday—one of whom was in tears—stating they had canceled their subscriptions after the Cohen prank, only to reinstate them later. Shares of SiriusXM briefly tumbled in pre-market trading following Cohen’s statements.
This time around, SiriusXM is in the midst of cost-cutting measures, with the company aiming for $200 million in annualized savings in 2025 and implementing layoffs as part of that effort. The company has recently highlighted its improved management of subscriber churn but has seen its subscriber base gradually decline from around 34 million in 2020 to 33 million in the second quarter of 2025. Nevertheless, SiriusXM executives had recently expressed a desire to retain Stern on the air, while noting that the deal must also “make financial sense.”
