NEW YORK (AP) – Howard Stern has signed a third five-year deal to keep his radio show at SiriusXM and will be expanding into video, allowing fans to see him do the show and have access to 30 years of his career highlights.
Once radio’s ultimate shock jock, Stern at 61 has grown mellower and his show’s signature is becoming its in-depth interviews with celebrities like Bill Murray, Gwyneth Paltrow, Neil Young, Bradley Cooper, Madonna, Chris Rock and others.
Terms were not disclosed, but since it includes a 12-year provision giving the company control of Stern’s library, it is likely well above the $500 million deal Stern signed when he moved to satellite radio in 2006. Sirius is the house Stern built: a money-losing venture with 600,000 subscribers when he signed, it merged with competitor XM in 2008 and now has 29 million subscribers and annual revenue of $4.5 billion, with more than $1 billion in profits.
Stern, on his show Tuesday, described the deal as a move into the future.
“You’ll be able to get everything you want in audio and video – and then some,” he said, as the music to “Star Trek” played in the background.
More specific plans for Stern’s video will be announced later.
Stern works on his own channel Monday through Thursday from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m., although some weeks he works three days. He has two satellite channels on Sirius.
Stern increased his public profile as a judge on NBC’s summertime show, “America’s Got Talent,” but said in June that he was opting out of that job.
Shares of SiriusXM Holdings Inc. rose 12 cents, or 3 percent, to $4.12 in morning trading. They are up almost 18 percent so far this year.