Howard Stern Fans Threaten SiriusXM Boycott

RADIO ONLINE | Sunday, July 26, 2026 | 3:55pm CT

Howard Stern

Howard Stern is facing growing backlash from longtime listeners after reports that The Howard Stern Show will reduce its live schedule to one new three-hour episode per week this fall, prompting some fans to say they are canceling their SiriusXM subscriptions.

According to media reports, including The Sun, the new format will debut after the show's annual summer hiatus, replacing its current schedule of multiple live broadcasts each week with a single weekly program supplemented by archived content.

The programming changes reportedly coincide with a significant downsizing of the show's staff. Reports indicate that about a dozen employees were laid off as part of the restructuring, with several longtime contributors confirming their departures on social media.

Reaction from fans has been swift, with many taking to X and Reddit to criticize the reduced schedule and question the value of maintaining a SiriusXM subscription for one live show each week. While some listeners said they had already canceled subscriptions they had held for years, neither Howard Stern nor SiriusXM has released any data indicating how many subscribers, if any, have actually canceled in response to the changes.

Stern joined Sirius Satellite Radio in 2006 under a landmark contract after years in terrestrial radio. Over time, his live schedule gradually decreased from five weekly broadcasts during his terrestrial radio years to four and then three shows per week on SiriusXM.

The reported changes come less than a year after Stern signed a three-year contract extension with SiriusXM that keeps him on the platform through 2028. At the time, Stern said the new agreement would allow him to continue broadcasting while giving him "more free time."

Neither SiriusXM nor Stern has publicly detailed the reported new programming format or commented on the cancellation threats circulating on social media.