The Scoop
Bill Maher’s uncancellable podcast studio has been cancelled.
In 2024, the late night comedian launched Club Random Studios, a podcast company built around his show of the same name. But less than two years later, the comedian’s podcast studio ceased operations, two people familiar with the situation told Semafor.
The website that once hosted the network’s shows no longer works. Comedian Matt Friend’s podcast has not shared a full episode since late last year. Journalist Rikki Schlott, who announced a show with the network last year, also hasn’t shared an episode in months.
Club Random Studios did not return a request for comment.
The network was originally intended to elevate voices from Maher’s extended universe: comedians, musicians, and journalists with heterodox views on issues and shared skepticism of what they perceived as the overreach of liberals and the left. The studio also helped launch shows from Sage Steele and Vice founder Shane Smith. The studio quickly made a deal with Studio71, a podcast network, which agreed to distribute some of its shows, including Maher’s podcast, Club Random.
“I want to help this impressive slate of other voices to do the same thing on the Club Random network,” he said at the time. “Dance like no one’s watching? We talk like no one can cancel us.”
The shuttering of Maher’s studio has not impacted many of its biggest names, who have largely continued podcasting uninterrupted. Steele’s podcast has continued to post regular episodes, and Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan recently debuted his podcast The Magnificent Others on YouTube.
Despite controversy surrounding Vice’s bankruptcy, Smith’s return to the front of the camera was successful: According to a spokesperson for Vice, the founder next month is debuting the second season of his show, which will feature a larger pool of contributors and voices. “Vice continues to have a strong relationship with Bill Maher,” the spokesperson said.
Still, there were some casualties: A Club Random podcast hosted by former Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst that was initially supposed to focus on UFOs never took off; Semafor could not find any episodes of the show online.