Exclusive Spotify Podcast Deal Signed by Kim Kardashian West – Variety
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Spotify has continued its podcast roster to a large extent, signing an agreement with Kim Kardashian West for an exclusive series to investigate a case involving criminal-justice reform.
A Spotify spokesperson confirmed the company’s agreement with Kardashian West and TV producer Laurie Rothschild Ansaldi for the podcast to be exclusively available on the Spotify platform. Kardashian West and Rothschild will co-host and co-produce the show at Ansaldi Spotify’s Parcast Studio.
Spotify’s latest podcast deal comes a month after Joe Rogan signed a landmark deal specifically to distribute the “Joe Rogan Experience” podcast for Spotify earlier this year. And includes a Maltese deal with Presidents Barack Obama and Michelle Obama to create exclusive podcasts.
According to the Wall Street Journal, which first reported on the deal, the podcast series will follow Rothschild Ansaldi’s investigation into the case of Kevin Keith, who was sentenced to death in Ohio in 1994 for three counts of murder. In 2010, the state’s governor rejected Keith’s death sentence, after new evidence presented by his lawyers raised suspicions about his guilt.
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Longtime reality TV star Kardashian West has been increasingly investing in criminal justice reform over the past few years. He is studying as a lawyer and has worked with the Innocence Project, a non-profit organization that works to forgive wrongdoers through DNA testing.
In 2018, Kardashian appealed to Donald Trump for success after serving nearly 22 years in prison as part of a life sentence for non-violent drug offenses in the case of West Alice Mary Johnson. Kardashian was in favor of reformed convicts in Johnson’s case. This spring the oxygen-featured feature-length documentary “Kim Kardashian West: The Justice Project” is about her support in the region.
Spotify said the Kavid-19 quartets have disappointed podcast listeners, but the company remains bullish in format. In the first quarter of 2020, 19% of monthly active users listened to podcast content, up 16% from the previous quarter, and the agency said it continued to grow at a triple-digit rate year after year. Spotify now hosts more than 10 million podcasts, the company said in April.
