Howard Stern is easily one of the most successful radio broadcasters of all time... if not THE most successful. Throughout the 1980s, '90s, and early 2000s, Howard was the epitome of a 'shock jock'. Everything he said stirred the pot. He would start feuds with celebrities, anger concerned mothers of America, simultaneously tick off the politically correct crowd and those on the religious right, and get massive ratings for it.
The self-proclaimed King of All Media started off in a radio small market in Briarcliff Manor, New York, expanded to Connecticut, Michigan, Washington, and then into New York. Pretty soon, he had built an entire empire that reached all over America and Canada. And ever since his 2006 move from terrestrial radio to satellite Howard can be heard worldwide. The best-selling author, former America's Got Talent judge, and blockbuster film star is undoubtedly a mega-entertainer. But what exactly are his ratings?
What Are Howard Stern's Ratings On SiriusXM?
It's incredibly difficult, if not impossible, to know Howard's ratings after his 2006 move to Sirius (now SiriusXM Pandora). The satellite radio company doesn't publish ratings as terrestrial radio companies do. But we know that prior to Howard's arrival on Sirius, the company only had about 600,000 subscribers. To date, the company has 35 million. About 30 million of these subscribers signed up for the paid radio company within a few short years after his arrival.
- Howard and his agent received 34.3 million shares of Sirius stock the day he started as he had already exceeded the agreed subscriber target.
- Howard reached a second subscriber bonus a year later which earned him another 22 million shares of stock worth nearly $100 million.
Not all of these subscribers are Howard fans, of course. But it's estimated that he has about 10 million active listeners, a couple million of whom come in and out of the show sporadically.
Even though SiriusXM has hundreds of channels of entertainment, there's no doubt that Howard Stern is their main draw. It's one of the reasons they have him on a premium package instead of included in the initial sign-up fee. His die-hard fans pay to listen to him. But not all of his fan base from his terrestrial days were able to follow him to satellite.
While some of Howard's best years as an entertainer have happened on his two SiriusXM channels (Howard 100 and Howard 101), only a portion of his fans have been able to listen to it or watch it on Demand or the SiriusXM app.
- Howard struck a deal with iN Demand and launched Howard Stern On Demand (later Howard TV) alongside his radio show. It ran from 2006 to 2013. Shortly after, he put all of his video content on the SiriusXM app.
At the height of Howard's career on terrestrial radio, he had over 20 million people tuning in each day. According to The Washington Post, he averaged 12 million per day. Almost anyone could have access to Howard in their car or on their home radio. Unlike other radio personalities, Howard demanded attention. One never knew what he would say next. That was his appeal. Now his audience has shifted. They are wealthier, paid subscribers who want a different type of content from him. This is one of the reasons Howard developed his skills as one of the best celebrity interviewers in the business.
Are Howard Stern's Ratings Down?
If you're judging Howard's career based on how many listeners he has, it's accurate to claim that his ratings are down. Satellite radio has subscribers while terrestrial radio is available to anyone with a radio. This is similar to Joe Rogan on Spotify instead of Youtube, who has often been compared and contrasted with Howard.
According to a scathing article by The New York Post, Howard has also lost listeners due to being less controversial than he used to be. Some fans on Twitter and Reddit also criticize Howard for constantly sharing his political opinions and worries about the global pandemic instead of providing other entertainment. But clearly, these fans still listen to the show... how else would they know what he is or isn't saying?
While his audience is smaller on satellite, they are worth more to advertisers and therefore worth more to SiriusXM itself. This is why they shell out so much money to keep Howard and his staff on air.
What's Howard Stern's Annual Salary?
Satellite radio subscribers tend to be older and have more cash to burn. Pair that with Howard Stern's massive and cult-like fan base and you have a lucrative combination. This is why Sirius has repeatedly shelled out hundreds of millions on Howard and his team every time they re-sign a five-year contract.
- Howard's first five-year contract with Sirius was worth $500 million, which included his production costs.
According to Page Six, Howard's most recent five-year contract renewal in 2020 was worth $500 million. Although the precise number wasn't confirmed by SiriusXM. That means that Howard and his team are getting around $100 million a year to produce their show. The money, of course is divided among the staff, Howard, and also all of their production costs. But it's fair to say that Howard is making around $1 million per episode of his show. No wonder he is said to be worth around $650 million.