{"id":5767,"date":"2026-08-12T10:38:59","date_gmt":"2026-08-12T10:38:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/relocationobserver.com\/?p=5767"},"modified":"2026-08-12T10:38:59","modified_gmt":"2026-08-12T10:38:59","slug":"alex-cooper-and-matt-kaplans-unwell-media-company-valued-at-500-million-after-investment-from-patrick-whitesells-wtsl","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/relocationobserver.com\/?p=5767","title":{"rendered":"Alex Cooper and Matt Kaplan\u2019s Unwell Media Company Valued at $500 Million After Investment From Patrick Whitesell\u2019s WTSL"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\nUnwell, the media company co-founded by married couple Alex Cooper and Matt Kaplan, has landed its first outside investor: Patrick Whitesell, co-founder of WME and former executive chairman of successor company Endeavor.<\/p>\n

Read more AI Music Generator Suno Strikes Licensing Deal With BMG as It Preps New Label-Backed Models<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\tWhitesell\u2019s WTSL, an investment firm focused on media, entertainment and sports he launched after exiting Endeavor and WME last year, has invested an undisclosed sum in Unwell that values the business at $500 million, according to Unwell. Cooper and Kaplan, who self-funded the company targeting Gen Z women audiences, retain a majority ownership stake. Formed in 2023, Unwell says it has been profitable from day one and sees the WTSL investment as growth capital.<\/p>\n

\n\tUnwell said that in addition to the funding, WTSL brings \u201cdeep strategic expertise, industry relationships and a proven track record of supporting some of the most innovative companies and storytellers in media,\u201d including Peyton Manning\u2019s Omaha Productions.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cTrust has become the ultimate distribution channel and 70 million women a month tune into Unwell,\u201d Cooper, whose \u201cCall Her Daddy\u201d podcast remains the company\u2019s tentpole franchise. \u201cWe\u2019re scaling on all fronts, combining nimbleness, social-first premium content, and our understanding of culture to serve this highly influential audience. With WTSL\u2019s backing, the company is now also poised to accelerate our media platform\u2019s growth through acquisitions and investments.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tWhitesell said in a statement, \u201cAlex, Matt and the team have demonstrated an exceptional ability to anticipate where audiences are headed and create entertainment experiences that resonate deeply,\u201d he said. \u201cThe company\u2019s growth, audience connection and cultural relevance set it apart, and we believe Unwell is uniquely positioned to help define the present and future of media.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tNews of the funding from Whitesell\u2019s WTSL comes after a pair of recent expos\u00e9s alleging behind-the-scenes chaos at Unwell. According to a Vanity Fair story in June, one Unwell freelancer alleged that Kaplan \u201ccreates the most toxic work environment that I\u2019ve ever seen\u201d; anonymous sources also said Kaplan had questioned employees about their sex lives and commented on their physical appearance. In April, Bloomberg reported that Kaplan \u201chas earned a reputation for frequently yelling at staff members\u201d and said Unwell\u2019s employees were \u201clooking for the exit.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tCooper, in an interview at Cannes Lions this June with the Wall Street Journal, was asked about the allegations. \u201cI will just kind of leave it at \u2018Don\u2019t believe everything that you read on the internet\u2019 \u2014\u00a0but I think everyone knows that at this point,\u201d she said. Cooper also said, \u201cI think that we have done a really incredible job at Unwell, and I think if you walk the halls, there are so many people that are so happy to work at this company. \u2026 I think, unfortunately, being a woman in this industry is extremely difficult because you\u2019re held to a completely different standard. Whether it\u2019s a smear campaign being created for someone\u2019s narrative, whatever it be.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more \u2018SNL U.K.\u2019 Season 2 Sets September Date<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\tKaplan is the founder of ACE Entertainment, whose credits include \u201cTo All the Boys I\u2019ve Loved Before,\u201d one of Netflix\u2019s most-watched original films to date, and popular Gen Z series \u201cXO, Kitty\u201d (also for Netflix).<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cAs the premier media company for women, we\u2019re collaborating with some of the biggest brands in the world on creator-led strategies,\u201d Kaplan said in a statement. \u201cBrands realize buying paid ads or influence just isn\u2019t enough in such a disparate media landscape. And, it\u2019s difficult to find a platform like Unwell that meets Gen Z where they are on their terms. That\u2019s something legacy media still hasn\u2019t unlocked.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tUnwell says its audience is 89% female, with 72% between the ages of 18 and 35. The company claims to have nearly 100 million followers across platforms and generated more than 1.7 trillion earned media impressions in 2025 alone. Its podcast network of more than a dozen shows is supported by a \u201csignificant\u201d SiriusXM partnership and video engagement on YouTube. In 2024, Cooper inked a three-year deal with SiriusXM worth as much as $125 million over the course of the agreement.<\/p>\n

\n\tBeyond podcasting, Unwell has expanded into series for premium streaming services and YouTube as well as live events.<\/p>\n

\n\tThe company produced the \u201cHannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special\u201d on Disney +; partnered with Peacock on live programming from the Paris Olympics; launched reality series \u201cLove Overboard\u201d with Hulu, and has a slate of shows with Netflix, including \u201cLet\u2019s Marry Harry\u201d and \u201cIcebreaker,\u201d set to shoot this fall. Unwell also has a growing portfolio of YouTube-native series announced earlier this year at the streaming giant\u2019s Brandcast event.<\/p>\n

\n\tUnwell also has staged nationwide tours, spring break experiences, SXSW activations and other live events (which the company estimates have been attended by more than 150,000 fans in person). The company also has a consumer products business spanning energy drinks, hydration products and stick packs.<\/p>\n

Read more U.K.\u2019s Largest Harry Potter Store Opening in London Ahead of HBO Series Launch<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Unwell, founded by Alex Cooper and Matt Kaplan, landed an investment from Patrick Whitesell’s WTSL valuing the Gen Z media company at $500 million.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5766,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[854,4487,4488],"class_list":["post-5767","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-digital","tag-alex-cooper","tag-patrick-whitesell","tag-unwell"],"yoast_head":"\nAlex Cooper and Matt Kaplan\u2019s Unwell Media Company Valued at $500 Million After Investment From Patrick Whitesell\u2019s WTSL - Relocation Observer<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/relocationobserver.com\/?p=5767\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Alex Cooper and Matt Kaplan\u2019s Unwell Media Company Valued at $500 Million After Investment From Patrick Whitesell\u2019s WTSL - 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