SiriusXM executives signaled that retaining Howard Stern remains a top priority for the satellite radio service, even as negotiations continue on the veteran host’s lucrative contract. Speaking at a Bank of America conference, SiriusXM President and Chief Content Officer Scott Greenstein emphasized Stern’s importance to the company. Stern, 71, has been a cornerstone of the platform for more than two decades. Helping to drive subscriber growth and national attention for the service.
“So Howard, for all these years and right up until now, is as important a content, single piece of content as we’ve had from the sense of being a lightning rod to get awareness for the service and publicity and all of that. He’s the best interviewer out there, period, bar none,” Greenstein said. “We’d love him to stay. It certainly has to make sense, but we feel pretty good that we’ve done this before, and we’ll see where it goes.”
CEO and Director Jennifer Witz echoed Greenstein’s comments, describing Stern as “core to our platform for over 20 years” and expressing confidence in reaching a mutually beneficial agreement.
“I’m confident we’ll get to the right place,” said Witz.
The remarks come amid ongoing speculation about Stern’s future with SiriusXM. His current five-year contract, reportedly worth $100 million annually, expires at the end of 2025. Stern has cut back on his broadcasting schedule in recent years, fueling rumors of a possible retirement. The host had initially planned to address contract speculation on Sept. 2, but postponed his return to Sept. 8.
While Greenstein stopped short of confirming any new deal, he outlined the factors SiriusXM considers when evaluating talent contracts. These include listening hours, advertising revenue, social media impact, publicity, and the broader significance of the individual to the platform or their genre.
Stern has been promoted to return to the airwaves Monday to address his future with SiriusXM.
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