Unwell, the media and entertainment company co-founded by “Call Her Daddy” host Alex Cooper and producer Matt Kaplan, has raised its first outside funding at a $500 million pre-money valuation as it looks to expand through acquisitions, investments and new business lines, according to Bloomberg.
The strategic investment comes from WTSL, the media, entertainment and sports investment firm led by former Endeavor executives Patrick Whitesell and Jason Lublin. The amount invested in Unwell was not disclosed.
The financing marks an important step in Unwell’s evolution from a podcast-focused creator platform into a broader entertainment company spanning audio, television and film, live events, creative services and other consumer-facing businesses.
Cooper and Kaplan launched Unwell in 2023 under their broader holding company, Trending. The business combines Cooper’s creator-led media platform with Kaplan’s Hollywood production infrastructure through ACE Entertainment.
ACE Entertainment’s credits include Netflix’s “To All the Boys” film franchise and the television spinoff “XO, Kitty,” giving the combined organization capabilities that extend well beyond podcasting.
Unwell’s podcast network now includes more than a dozen shows, while the broader company produces film and television projects, organizes live events and operates a creative agency.
The company says it reaches about 70 million women each month, giving it a large audience that could support expansion into additional media formats and consumer businesses.
Cooper’s flagship “Call Her Daddy” podcast remains at the center of that ecosystem.
The show became one of the world’s largest female-focused podcasts and helped Cooper build an audience that eventually supported the formation of the Unwell Network and the broader Trending business.
The company has subsequently expanded beyond audio.
Unwell operates a creative agency that develops branded campaigns and has worked with major consumer and technology companies.
Unwell has also developed live events and other entertainment projects, broadening the business model beyond advertising and podcast distribution.
The new capital is expected to accelerate that diversification.
Unwell is already profitable, but plans to use the WTSL investment to strengthen existing businesses, enter additional areas, and pursue acquisitions.
The $500 million pre-money valuation also provides a significant benchmark for a creator-led media company built around an individual personality and audience.
Rather than relying exclusively on licensing or endorsement deals, Cooper has increasingly used the audience surrounding “Call Her Daddy” as the foundation for an independently controlled media and entertainment platform.
The WTSL transaction gives Unwell an institutional investor with deep ties to the entertainment business as the company attempts to convert that audience into a larger portfolio of content, brands and intellectual property.
WTSL is focused on investments across media, entertainment and sports, providing a strategic fit with Unwell’s ambitions to broaden beyond podcasting.
The investment is expected to support both acquisitions and additional investments by Unwell as management seeks to build a larger entertainment company around its creator-driven distribution model.
