OpenAI expands into media with TBPN acquisition — read Fidji Simo’s full message to team
On Thursday (local time), OpenAI announced that it has acquired Technology Business Programming Network (TBPN), an online tech talk show with loyal Silicon Valley followers who frequently host industry CEOs.
Described as “one of the fastest growing media companies”, TBPN was founded by entrepreneurs John Coogan and Jordi Hays in 2024 to compete against the heavyweights in the space. CNBC.
The Sam Altman-led company said both Coogan and Hays will join OpenAI as part of Thursday’s acquisition.
“TBPN will sit within our Strategy organization and report to Chris Lehane. I’m really excited to welcome Jordi, John, Dylan and the wider team,” said Fidji Simo, CEO of OpenAI AGI Deployment, when announcing the move.
The acquisition comes as a bit of a surprise, given that OpenAI has not previously indicated any plans to enter the media business. The Sam Altman-led firm also recently announced the shutdown of its Sora video creation tool in order to focus more on the AI coding tools market.
However, the financial details of this move were not disclosed by OpenAI; OpenAI has said only that the acquisition will help it better communicate its plans to the public at large and shape the debate around artificial intelligence.
Here’s what OpenAI had to say about the acquisition
“TBPN has built something pretty special. It’s one of the places where conversations about AI and builders actually happen every day. Many of you are already watching it and relying on it to stay close to what’s going on,” Simo wrote.
“As we think about the future of how we communicate at OpenAI, what has become clear is that the standard communications playbook does not apply to us. We are not a typical company. We are truly leading a major technological change. And our mission to enable artificial general intelligence to benefit all of humanity comes with a responsibility to help create a space for real, constructive conversation about the changes that AI creates — with the builders and the people using the technology at the center,” he said.
“This is exactly what TBPN has been built for. So rather than trying to recreate that ourselves, it made perfect sense to bring them in, support what they do, and help them scale, while preserving what makes them special. A key part of that is editorial independence. TBPN will continue to run their programs, choose their guests, and make their own editorial decisions. That’s the foundation of their credibility, and it’s something we’re explicitly protecting as part of this agreement,” the OpenAI AGI chief said. explained.
“I’m also excited to bring their amazing communications and marketing instincts to the team. They’ve helped many brands market online and I’ve been really impressed with their communications and marketing ideas as they have a strong pulse on where the industry is going. I can’t wait to leverage their talents outside of the show to innovate how we bring AI into the world to help people understand the full impact of this technology on their daily lives.” OpenAI.
‘Moving from comment to real impact’
The co-founder and co-host of TBPN Hays also celebrated the move, saying it would give the talk show a chance to make a “real impact”.
“Over the past year, we’ve kept a front row seat not just for OpenAI but for the entire ecosystem, delivering daily news, announcements and launches in real time. While we’ve been critical of the industry at times, what stood out most after getting to know Sam and the OpenAI team was their openness to feedback and commitment to getting it right. It’s incredibly important for us to move from commentary to real impact on how this technology is deployed and understood globally,” Hays said.
