TBPN Explained: OpenAI Bought a 3-Hour Daily Tech Show

TBPN, short for Technology Business Programming Network, is a daily three-hour live tech and business show hosted by John Coogan and Jordi Hays. OpenAI announced it was acquiring TBPN on April 2, 2026. The show streams on X, YouTube and LinkedIn and has hosted OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, according to Axios coverage of the deal.

Originally published November 2, 2026. Updated November 2, 2026.

Who are the TBPN hosts and where did the show come from?

TBPN was started in Los Angeles by two former founders, John Coogan and Jordi Hays. It began in October 2024 as a weekly podcast called Technology Brothers, according to the Television Academy and Talking Biz News, and moved to a daily live format of three hours in March 2025, according to Trending Topics.

John Coogan co-founded the nutrition company Soylent and the nicotine pouch brand Lucy, and worked as an entrepreneur in residence at the venture firm Founders Fund. Jordi Hays founded the YouTube advertising company Branded Native and co-founded the fintech company Party Round, now called Capital, with his wife Sarah Chase Hays, according to Vanity Fair.

Dylan Abruscato, a former executive at Postmates and HQ Trivia, joined as president in September 2025. The Hollywood Reporter reported on January 21, 2026 that the show signed with the talent agency CAA. Axios describes the format as modeled on an ESPN SportsCenter broadcast, with live interviews and news segments across a long morning block.

Why did OpenAI buy TBPN?

OpenAI bought TBPN to gain a direct, trusted channel into the technology conversation, and to shape public discussion of AI instead of only releasing products. Axios framed the deal that way on April 2, 2026, and OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman called TBPN his favorite tech show in a post on X.

Fidji Simo, OpenAI's CEO of applications, wrote in the announcement that the TBPN team brings editorial instincts, audience understanding and a track record of bringing influential voices together across tech, business and culture. Coogan said on the live show that Altman invested in his first company and that the two have known each other for about 13 years, according to Axios.

The Financial Times reported a price in the low hundreds of millions of dollars. OpenAI and TBPN did not disclose terms. TechCrunch reported that it was OpenAI's first acquisition of a media project, and coverage noted that Coogan, Hays and Abruscato will also help with OpenAI communications and marketing outside the broadcast.

The timing came as OpenAI announced a funding round of $122 billion at an $852 billion post-money valuation, according to Axios, and said it would focus on its enterprise business.

Who owns TBPN now, and is it still independent?

OpenAI owns TBPN, and the show reports to Chris Lehane, OpenAI's chief global affairs officer. OpenAI says the show keeps editorial independence and continues to choose its own guests and programming, according to Fidji Simo's announcement as reported by Axios.

Coogan told viewers that independence is a core part of the deal. He said the hosts can say what they want because the show is live and does not run material through anyone. The Wall Street Journal reported that TBPN's advertising business will wind down under the new structure.

Axios raised an open question: with OpenAI as owner, it is unclear whether TBPN can still book interviews with competitors. The show could come to look like a traditional owned content channel, with conversations featuring OpenAI partners and investors. That outcome is not a given, and the guest list over the coming months is the clearest way to judge it.

TBPN is not the first company-owned media property. The table below lists the examples Axios cited alongside the OpenAI deal.

How big is TBPN's audience and business?

TBPN averages about 70,000 viewers per episode across platforms, according to Trending Topics, which is small next to broadcast television but concentrated among founders, investors and technology executives. The Wall Street Journal reported that the company expected about $5 million in advertising revenue in 2025, was profitable and had no outside investors.

The Journal also reported that TBPN hired Abruscato to help triple revenue to $15 million in 2026. That plan changes with the wind-down of the advertising business, so future revenue now depends on OpenAI's ownership rather than sponsors.

For a communications team, the number that matters most is who watches and who appears. Axios noted that the show has earned prominence for attracting top technology executives, which is why a booking carries weight with investors and recruits well beyond the live audience. This is EPR's assessment, not a measured result.

How should PR teams approach a TBPN booking?

PR teams should treat TBPN as a long conversation with former founders, not as a news desk that covers product announcements. Five steps follow from how the show is built and who owns it.

1. Pitch a founder or operator who can talk about building a company, because both hosts are former founders and the guest list is mostly executives.
2. Prepare at least three or four distinct topics beyond the announcement, since a live block of up to three hours rewards guests who can move between subjects.
3. Run live media training with no retakes, because Coogan has said the show runs live and does not edit material through anyone.
4. Check recent episodes for guests from companies that compete with OpenAI before pitching a direct rival, and plan for how a guest may be framed.
5. Note OpenAI's ownership whenever a release or case study cites a TBPN appearance, so readers can judge the coverage for themselves.

Clips from the show circulate on X and LinkedIn after each episode, so a guest should also expect the best two minutes to travel further than the full interview.

What does the TBPN deal change for tech communications?

The TBPN deal shows that an AI company will pay for a media channel its audience already watches, and it gives other technology brands a reason to rethink how they use owned content. Plaid, Robinhood and OpenAI have each chosen to own a place where their customers and investors already pay attention.

The deal also adds a new tier to the tech media map. A founder-hosted live show now sits next to trade press and national outlets as a place technology leaders seek exposure. For more on how technology launches and brand stories have earned attention over time, see best technology PR campaigns, and for how a rival AI lab runs its communications, read how Anthropic does PR.

OpenAI is also the subject of research on which sources AI platforms cite. EPR tracks that in the AI platform citation source index, and the wider topic is explained in what is AI communications. A team deciding whether to pitch TBPN can start by watching the next month of guests: if competing labs appear, the show is operating as an open forum, and if they do not, it is better treated as a channel inside OpenAI's orbit.

What are the key takeaways on TBPN?

• OpenAI announced the acquisition of TBPN on April 2, 2026, and the show reports to Chris Lehane.
• Coogan and Hays launched the show in October 2024 and went daily and live in March 2025.
• OpenAI says editorial independence continues, and the advertising business is winding down.
• Pitching TBPN works best with founders and operators who can handle a long, live conversation.