Anderson Cooper has hired a reputed Hollywood “super agent” — a sign that the CNN anchor, said to be pulling down an annual salary of $18 million, may exit the struggling cable network amid looming cost cuts.
Cooper, the 58-year-old son of the late fashion designer and railroad heiress Gloria Vanderbilt, is ditching his longtime agent United Talent Agency in favor of Creative Artists Agency and its top deal broker Bryan Lourd.
News of Cooper’s move was reported on Tuesday morning by the news sites Semafor and Variety. A CNN spokesperson declined to comment.
The Post left a message on Lourd’s voicemail seeking confirmation of the Variety and Semafor reports.
The decision to switch agents and hire Lourd is significant given that the CAA rep’s client roster leans more toward Hollywood’s elite than traditional broadcast journalists, according to Variety.
Lourd has offered his services to A-list stars such as Scarlett Johansson, George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Charlize Theron and Daniel Craig.
Cooper’s shift in agencies has raised questions about whether the anchor may be preparing to expand his portfolio — or possibly exit the network altogether — as the traditional TV news model faces mounting financial pressures.
The former war correspondent has diversified his media presence over the years. In addition to anchoring “Anderson Cooper 360” on CNN, he contributes to CBS’s “60 Minutes” and previously guest-hosted “Jeopardy!”
He was also once considered for a permanent role alongside Kelly Ripa on Disney’s syndicated morning show “Live.” These side gigs have given Cooper room to stretch beyond hard news, and his latest agent switch suggests there may be more evolution ahead.
Industry observers told Variety that Cooper’s timing comes as networks across the board are cutting costs and rethinking their talent strategies.
Cooper’s bosses at media conglomerate Warner Bros. Discovery, which oversees CNN, is restructuring to separate its TV networks from its streaming and production businesses, a move analysts say could position the cable channels for a future sale.
Earlier this month, WBD CEO David Zaslav announced the split. He has assigned his “slash and burn” chief financial officer, Gunnar Wiedenfels, the task of looking for ways to slash costs when he takes over CNN and other cable assets under the umbrella of a new company called Global Networks.
Last week, Puck News reported that Cooper’s hefty salary — which is said to be more than five times that of fellow prime time host Kaitlan Collins despite the fact that both generate similar viewership numbers — could be in Wiedenfels’ crosshairs.
CNN has refused to confirm Cooper’s salary. The network has also disputed the figures that have been reported in the press. The Post has sought comment from Cooper.
Many veteran anchors have been let go or asked to take pay cuts. Chris Wallace exited CNN while Cooper’s former colleagues Don Lemon, Jim Acosta and Alisyn Camerota have all departed key roles.
Cooper’s own longstanding deal with CNN reportedly dates back to 2016, when he signed a multiyear extension believed to last at least five years. That contract was widely interpreted as CNN’s way of locking him down and keeping him from joining ABC’s morning show.
In recent years, Cooper has grown his profile through a podcast on grief and his recurring New Year’s Eve broadcasts with Andy Cohen, which have become a hallmark of CNN’s holiday programming.
Meanwhile, the parent companies behind these news operations are undergoing significant transformations. Paramount Global, which owns CBS News, is in the process of merging with Skydance Media, a deal that includes $1.5 billion in planned cost reductions — on top of $500 million already slashed.
At Comcast, NBCUniversal is spinning off many of its cable assets, putting MSNBC and CNBC on a different track from NBC News.
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