OpenAI expands into media with TBPN acquisition — read Fidji Simo's full message to team

OpenAI on Thursday (local time) announced its acquisition of Technology Business Programming Network (TBPN), an online tech talk show with a loyal Silicon Valley following that frequently hosts industry CEOs.

Described as "one of the fastest-growing media companies", TBPN was launched by entrepreneurs John Coogan and Jordi Hays in 2024 with the aim of competing against heavyweights in the space, such as CNBC.

Both Coogan and Hays will join OpenAI as part of Thursday's acquisition, the Sam Altman-led company said.

"TBPN will sit within our Strategy org, reporting to Chris Lehane. Really excited to welcome Jordi, John, Dylan, and the broader team," said Fidji Simo, the CEO of AGI Deployment at OpenAI, announcing the move.

The acquisition came as somewhat of a surprise, given that OpenAI had not previously indicated any plans to enter the media business. The Sam Altman-led firm also recently announced the shutdown of its Sora video-generation tool in a bid to focus more on the market for AI coding tools.

The financial details of the move, however, were not announced by OpenAI, which merely said the acquisition would help it communicate its plans better to the public at large, in addition to helping it shape the conversation around AI.

Here's what OpenAI said on the acquisition

"TBPN has built something pretty special. It’s one of the places where the conversation about AI and builders is actually happening day to day. A lot of you already watch it, and rely on it to stay close to what’s going on," wrote Simo.

"As I've been thinking about the future of how we communicate at OpenAI, one thing that's become clear is that the standard communications playbook just doesn't apply to us. We're not a typical company. We're driving a really big technological shift. And with our mission to ensure artificial general intelligence benefits all of humanity comes a responsibility to help create a space for a real, constructive conversation about the changes AI creates—with builders and people using the technology at the center," she said.

"That’s exactly what TBPN has built. So rather than trying to recreate that ourselves, it made a lot of sense to bring them in, support what they’re doing, and help them scale—while keeping what makes them special. A core part of this is editorial independence. TBPN will continue to run their programming, choose their guests, and make their own editorial decisions. That’s foundational to their credibility, and it’s something we’re explicitly protecting as part of this agreement," the OpenAI AGI chief explained.

"I'm also excited to bring their amazing comms and marketing instincts to the team. They've helped many brands market online and because they have a strong pulse on where the industry is going, their comms and marketing ideas have really impressed me. I can't wait to leverage their talent outside of the show to innovate on how we bring AI to the world in a way that helps people understand the full impact of this technology on their daily lives," Simo added, concluding with remarks about the TBPN team's integration with OpenAI.

'Moving from commentary to real impact'

Co-founder and co-host of TBPN Hays also celebrated the move, saying that it would give the talk show a chance to make "real impact".

“Over the past year, we’ve had a front-row seat not just to OpenAI, but to the entire ecosystem, covering the daily news, announcements, and launches in real time. 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. Moving from commentary to real impact in how this technology is distributed and understood globally is incredibly important to us," said Hays.