One of podcasting’s biggest names has a new agency, and she brought her whole company along. Call Her Daddy host Alex Cooper has officially signed with CAA, according to The Hollywood Reporter‘s Caitlin Huston. The deal covers Cooper, her husband and business partner Matt Kaplan, and Unwell, the media and entertainment company the two run together.

From UTA to CAA

The signing wasn’t a surprise. Cooper left UTA over the summer, and CAA was talked about as her likely landing spot from the start. Deadline‘s Peter White notes UTA had represented her for a number of years and that the CAA move “was telegraphed at the time.” Net Influencer‘s Dragomir Stojkov puts the UTA run at more than six years and reports that an Unwell representative confirmed the relationship ended on July 27.

According to Variety‘s Brian Steinberg, the CAA deal had been in discussions for weeks. The agency will work with Cooper and Kaplan to expand Unwell’s business while supporting its growth and the development of original intellectual property.

A $500 million company, not just a show

The timing ties back to money. In August, Patrick Whitesell’s investment firm WTSL made a strategic investment in Unwell that valued the company at $500 million. Huston reports that the agency switch was positioned as a way to grow the business beyond podcasting. Net Influencer adds that it was the first outside capital Unwell had taken since its 2023 launch, and that Cooper and Kaplan kept a majority stake.

Cooper said in August that the backing leaves Unwell “poised to accelerate our media platform’s growth through acquisitions and investments,” per Net Influencer.

What CAA is taking on is a lot bigger than one microphone. Call Her Daddy, which Cooper launched in 2018, is described by TheWrap‘s Tess Patton as the No. 1 podcast for women ages 18 to 34, and it was nominated in the first-ever Best Podcast category at the 83rd Golden Globe Awards. The show is distributed through SiriusXM, which also powers an Unwell channel on its satellite radio service, Variety reports. Net Influencer notes UTA helped negotiate that SiriusXM agreement, which was reported at $125 million.

Around the podcast, Unwell has built out a film and TV slate that includes Hulu’s Call Her Alex documentary, Disney+’s Hannah Montana 20th anniversary special and Netflix’s Let’s Marry Harry, with adaptations of Icebreaker and Deep End on the way. It also runs YouTube competition shows Unwell Winter Games and Unwell Summer Games, and Variety says the Unwell Network launched seven new programs in 2026. THR reports that Unwell also started an in-house ad and creative agency this year, Unwell Agency, which has landed partnerships with Google and Sephora.

A rough stretch behind it

The move follows a hard year. Deadline reports Unwell shut down a drinks business earlier this year, and Kaplan was accused of fostering an aggressive, toxic workplace at the company. THR points to reporting from Bloomberg and Vanity Fair about staff turnover and unease among employees. Net Influencer notes Cooper has disputed the allegations.

Net Influencer also cites Variety reporting that Cooper’s frustration with UTA centered in part on the agency’s continued work with influencer Alix Earle and Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy, both of whom have publicly feuded with her.

The agencies want the creators

The bigger story for the creator economy is where talent agencies are putting their bets. TheWrap reports the signing comes as CAA and TPG teamed up on a $250 million holding company meant to grow CAA’s creator business. UTA isn’t sitting still either: Net Influencer notes its creators division, led by Oren Rosenbaum, represents Earle, MrBeast and Mel Robbins.

Net Influencer frames Cooper’s deal as a sign of how creator representation has changed. Her new agency relationship covers a podcast network, a production arm, an in-house agency and a company backed by outside investors, not just a single host booking ads one campaign at a time.

The takeaway

Alex Cooper’s move to CAA shows that top creators no longer sign with agencies as just “talent.” They sign as companies. For creators at any level, the lesson is the same: the audience is the starting point, but the real value comes from what you build around it, whether that’s shows, products, brand partnerships or a team. Build like a business and the business side of Hollywood starts competing for you.