Howard Stern’s decades-long run on SiriusXM is reportedly coming to an end, with sources telling The Sun that his revolutionary show — once a flagship product for the satellite giant — is simply too expensive to keep going.
That’s right: The King of All Media is being shown the door, not because of ratings, but because the math (and maybe the mood) no longer adds up.
Let’s be clear: Stern has been raking in north of $100 million a year — yes, per year — to sit in his home studio, broadcast three days a week, and fire off whatever controversial take happened to land in his crosshairs that morning. For years, SiriusXM saw him as worth every penny. But now? Not so much.
According to insiders, Sirius is expected to make an offer this fall — likely just enough to retain the rights to Stern’s massive back catalogue — but not one that would entice him to keep broadcasting. “There’s no way they can keep paying his salary,” the source said bluntly, comparing the situation to CBS quietly parting ways with Stephen Colbert: high cost, limited return, and a political powder keg to boot.
And let’s not pretend Stern didn’t help torch his own bridge. Once known for his anything-goes shock jockery, Stern veered hard into politics in recent years — and not subtly. He unleashed an unrelenting stream of hostility toward Trump voters, calling them morons, stupid, nincompoops, and even going so far as to say, “I hate the people who vote for him.”
Yeah, that’ll win hearts and ears.
He then doubled down, comparing Trump to Hitler and framing supporters of the president as intellectually stunted, democracy-ignorant sheep. And while he brushed off any backlash, saying he didn’t care if he lost listeners, it turns out SiriusXM does.
They have shareholders. Stern’s divisive, anti-populist rants may have finally made the brand more liability than legend.
So here we are: after 20 years, the partnership that once saved Sirius from obscurity is circling the drain. Stern will likely take a fat paycheck for the rights to his archives, fade further into semi-retirement, and maybe do the occasional special or podcast from his Long Island mansion.
