Howard Stern and SiriusXM: Truth & Rumors Explained

The radio icon Howard Stern, 71, once again put listeners' curiosity to work on his next move concerning SiriusXM. News early this week stated that Stern had left the satellite radio giant after almost 20 years. Such a claim shocked listeners, especially those who later discovered that Andy Cohen was substituting on The Howard Stern Show. 

Cohen described this specific episode as 'surreal' precisely because Stern was expected to be on the mic, but he was nowhere to be found. His omission from the show was the nail in the coffin for the conclusion that Stern’s association with SiriusXM had ended. 

Media Shifts Influence Contract Terms

 Stern is finishing the remainder of a 5-year $500 million contract deal he signed in 2020 with The Guardian reporting that the contract is due to run out at the closing of 2025. Having a very different worldview from Stern, the Guardian claims that his contract renewal is difficult because of the way the public consumes audio content. The advancement of technology, with its concomitant change of radio to podcasts and shift from satellite to streams, means half his audience is no longer loyal to traditional means of radio. 

With Joe Rogan and Alex Cooper at the forefront of the publicly traded, Stern has been losing his grip on the radio industry. Analysts claim that SiriusXM cannot ignore Stern's reputation and star power; at the same time, SiriusXM has to come to terms with the fact that their audience has shifted to a podcast-first consumption.

SiriusXM Executives Reaffirm Support

Irrespective of persistent speculation and unauthorized disclosures, SiriusXM Executives, Stern’s supporters have, however, taken the public stance that he is “the best interviewer out there.” At the Bank of America Conference, Scott Greenstein, SiriusXM’s Chief Content Officer and President put it which way. CEO Jennifer Witz reiterated this and corroborated that Stern is still greatly indispensable to the brand which is why constant negotiations about the deal are still on the table.  

Did Howard Stern Really Leave? Or Was It a Stunt?

To some fans, the purported prank co-starring Stern and Andy Cohen added to the confusion that his exit was a part of a public stilt. He, however, is still a part of SiriusXM, and speculation about him having quit is still not correct. He is still not clear about the long term plans he has made for the platform. But for no he is not leaving SiriusXM.

UNDER THE RADAR/BREAKING. Howard Stern is NOT leaving SiriusXM. The „cancellation“ drama was, in his own words, a PR prank. Stern will be back on air. Contract talks continue. Listeners are now left confused by all the back-and-forth. #HowardStern #SiriusXM #BreakingNews pic.twitter.com/aOUyOe9RkK

— Marzel Becker (@marzel_mit_z) September 8, 2025

Why Howard Stern Still Matters

Stern has indeed been integral to SiriusXM’s growth and has single handedly, since he joned the company back in 2006, attracted millions of subscribers. The streams of unfilterd conversations he engages in with passionate fans have allowed him to cultivate a unique position in the media world.  
  
Even as Stern’s status position is in the podcasting domain, his bodily legacy and influence keeps him a center from which media conversations tend to unfurl. The next move Stern decides to take is not a mere corner for his personal growth; it is a shift for SiriusXM in this unpredictable digital era.