$100M man pulling in just $600 a day worth of ears
Once hailed as the King of All Media, Howard Stern is now sounding more like the Prince of Pocket Change.
Insider leaks claim Stern’s SiriusXM show is down to a paltry 125,000 daily listeners — a shocking plunge from the 20 million who once tuned in during his terrestrial radio heyday. That number, industry insiders say, is about the size of a middling A.M. radio call-in show.
From Shock Jock to Sticker Shock
Stern’s latest SiriusXM deal is worth $500 million over five years. That’s $100 million annually — or about $274,000 every single day.
But if Stern’s current listener base followed him to YouTube instead of the SiriusXM paywall, his show would be worth a measly $625 a day in ad revenue — the going rate for 125,000 views at a $5 CPM.
That translates to $228,000 a year. Not bad for a podcaster. But for Howard? That’s couch-cushion money.
Sidebar: Sirius vs. YouTube – The Brutal Math
PlatformDaily ListenersDaily RevenueAnnual RevenueYouTube (125K)125,000~$625~$228,000SiriusXM Deal125,000$274,000$100M
Each listener is costing SiriusXM $2,000 a year — a number so inflated it could make Wall Street spit out its coffee.
The Decline of a Legend
Fans once lined up to hear Stern grill celebrities, host outrageous stunts, and say what no one else dared. Now, whispers from his own staff say the show feels stale, the host disengaged, and the audience vanishing.
Meanwhile, Alex Cooper’s “Call Her Daddy” is being hailed as SiriusXM’s “biggest star,” leaving Stern stewing as his cultural crown slips away.
Then vs. Now
- Then (1990s): 20 million weekly listeners, shock jock superstardom, movie deals, book tours.
- Now (2025): 125,000 daily listeners, staff leaks about phoning it in, and an audience the size of a popular YouTuber’s livestream.
Tabloid kicker line:
SiriusXM shelled out half a billion for the King of All Media — but today, Howard Stern’s numbers look more like the Duke of Dial Tone.
