In 2018, Alexandra Cooper and Sofia Franklyn launched the advice and comedy podcast ‘Call Her Daddy,’ which quickly gained immense popularity. The podcast’s listener base skyrocketed from 12,000 to an astonishing 2 million within just two months.
Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy saw the potential and signed a three-year contract with the co-hosts that included a base salary of $75,000, supplemented by bonuses tied to podcast performance and merchandise sales. The contract also granted Barstool Sports all intellectual property rights.
The success of ‘Call Her Daddy’ attracted a loyal fan base of millions, tuning in to hear Cooper and Franklyn’s candid discussions about dating, relationships, sex, and pop culture drama, making the podcast a central part of the news cycle.
However, in April 2020, ‘Call Her Daddy’ stopped releasing new episodes, raising concerns among listeners. About a month later, Portnoy provided a 30-minute update on the situation, revealing the contract renegotiations between Barstool Sports, Franklyn, and Cooper. Portnoy disclosed that he offered the co-hosts a new contract worth $500,000 per year, alongside additional bonuses. It was revealed that Cooper was willing to accept the deal, while Franklyn was not.
During that period, Sofia was in a relationship with Peter Nelson, who was an executive for HBO Sports. Portnoy accused Nelson of influencing Franklyn’s decision to reject Barstool’s contract offer. Additionally, there were allegations that Nelson actively sought other podcast distributors for the show, causing further strain on Franklyn’s relationship with Barstool.
Behind the scenes, tensions grew between Franklyn and Cooper, with disagreements arising over their roles on the podcast and the show’s future direction. Consequently, Alexandra decided to continue the podcast on her own, announcing in late May 2020 that she would move forward without Sofia.
Until June 2021, ‘Call Her Daddy’ was under the ownership and distribution of Barstool Sports. However, everything changed when Cooper inked an exclusive contract with Spotify, securing a deal worth $60 million. While Barstool Sports is no longer controlling the podcast, they remain involved in its merchandising efforts.
In a February 2022 appearance on ‘The Morning Toast,’ Sofia joked about reuniting with Alexandra, referring to her $60 million deal with Spotify, and said:
“I mean if she wants to Venmo me $30 million.”
She continued, reflecting more on her thoughts about the deal:
“It was also hard to see something you’ve worked on for so f*cking long be sold for that amount of money. I actually think if I would’ve stayed on the show and we would’ve not betrayed each other… I think we could’ve sold it for more, honestly, and that was always the goal.”
Explaining her mood after her departure from the podcast, Franklyn added:
“I’m in a 90% better place. But I would be lying if I would sit here and said I was 100% back to who I was completely. I mean, quote-unquote ‘normal.'”
After ‘CHD,’ Franklyn decided to stick to what she knew best and launched her own podcast called ‘Sofia with an F.’ On her platform, she continued to discuss explicit topics about sex and relationships, as well as interviewing various celebrities.