Skip to Content News Archives Economy Energy Oil & Gas Renewables Electric Vehicles Mining Commodities Agriculture Real Estate Mortgages Mortgage Rates Finance Banking Insurance Fintech Cryptocurrency Work Wealth Smart Money Wealth Management Investor Personal Finance Family Finance Retirement Taxes High Net Worth FP Comment Executive Women Puzzmo Newsletters Financial Times Business Essentials More Innovation Information Technology FP500 Podcasts Small Business Lives Told Tails Told Shopping Financial Post Store Obituaries Place a Notice Advertising Advertising With Us Advertising Solutions Postmedia Ad Manager Sponsorship Requests Classifieds Place a Classifieds ad Working Profile Settings My Subscriptions Saved Articles My Offers Newsletters Customer Service FAQ News Economy Energy Mining Real Estate Finance Work Wealth Investor FP Comment Executive Women Puzzmo Newsletters Financial Times Business Essentials HomePMN Business'Call Her Daddy' Host Alex Cooper's Unwell Beverage Business Is Shutting DownThe superstar podcaster launched a line of drinks in 2025 in partnership with Nestlé and sold at Target storesAuthor of the article: You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account.Alex Cooper speaks on SiriusXM on radio row at Super Bowl LIX with the Unwell beverages in New Orleans on Feb. 7, 2025. Photographer: Cindy Ord/Getty Images Photo by Cindy Ord /Photographer: Cindy Ord/Getty Im(Bloomberg) — Top podcaster Alex Cooper’s beverage business is shutting down, demonstrating the challenges online creators often have in diversifying their work away from content.Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman, and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorCooper’s Unwell Beverage Co., which she launched in partnership with Nestlé SA in 2025, is planning to introduce more flavors tied to the Halloween season and will subsequently cease production across all of the brand’s line of beverages, according to people familiar with the matter. Target Corp., the brand’s main distribution partner, is selling through its supply, the people said, asking not to be named because they aren’t authorized to speak about the plans publicly. Debuting as Unwell Hydration, the initial line came in three flavors and contained electrolytes, vitamins and caffeine. The brand soon added protein- and energy-focused beverages. The drinks can often be seen in video episodes of Cooper’s highly rated Call Her Daddy podcast sitting on the side tables next to the host and her guest. Get the latest headlines, breaking news and columns.By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of Top Stories will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againA representative for Cooper declined to comment. Nestlé and Target also declined to comment.Beyond the ingredients, which position the beverage somewhere between sports drink and functional wellness elixir, Cooper wanted the drink to stand out among competitors by marketing it to women, she said at the New York Times’ DealBook Summit in 2024.“Every time I went to pick up an energy drink or any type of hydration drink, it’s all catered to men,” she said. “If you go on their Instagrams, the packaging is for men and a lot of time it has to do with high performance, like you have to be a professional athlete to drink this and it’s all made for men, by men, marketed to men.”In May, the company began selling a limited-edition “red, white, and blueberry” flavor of the energy drink exclusively at Target.Cooper’s expansion into beverages accompanied her broader effort to become more than a podcaster. She and her husband Matt Kaplan founded Unwell, which encompasses her podcast business and his movie and TV production work. They quickly began adding other podcasts to the network and producing TV shows for Hollywood studios. Cooper also sells a line of a merchandise, hosts live events and recently launched an ad agency.On Wednesday, Unwell raised money from Hollywood super agent Patrick Whitesell that valued the entire business at $500 million. The money will largely be used to expand Cooper’s network, as well as the ad agency’s work. In April, Bloomberg reported on troubles at Cooper’s company, spurred in part by juggling too many business ventures, including executive turnover, shows that failed to become major hits and staff issues with Kaplan, who often yelled at employees. The company declined to comment at the time.Many influencers and celebrities have also branched out beyond their initial day jobs, but the space, particularly for beverages, has become saturated. YouTuber Emma Chamberlain launched a coffee line, for example, while influencers Logan Paul and KSI sell an energy drink called Prime. 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