Spotify Features for Warrotter Brothers, DC K Exclusive Podcast Slate
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All new podcasts featuring Batman, Wonder Woman – or Bugs Bunny may soon be streaming to your headphones.
In the latest move to top the podcast Biz, Spotify Warner signed a multi-year agreement with Bros. and DC Entertainment to produce and distribute an original slate of descriptive scripted podcasts, which will be exclusively licensed for Spotify for a period of time.
The deal gives Spotify the first rights to original scripted narrative DC podcasts based on the stability of superheroes and super-villains, including Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Harley Quinn and the Joker. The shows will have new storylines set in DC Universe that are not related to existing movie or TV shows (i.e., a podcast will not be tied to “Wonder Woman 1984”).
In addition to DC-based podcasts, Warner Bros. will develop original scripted podcast series based on other features – such as Lonnie Tunes and Warner Bros. TV-produced shows such as “Supernatural” – and not related to original podcast projects related to WB’s existing intellectual property.
For Spotify, the Warner Bros. / DDC deal continues its aggressive role in podcast content. Earlier this year, a ারের 100 million deal was signed to exclusively distribute Joe Rogan’s “The Joe Rogan Experience” podcast, and Kim Kardashian West has an exclusive podcast with Obama for criminal-reform reform podcasts and slate. It bought Gimlet Media, Anchor and Parcast last year to launch podcasting and Spotify spread to Bill Simmons ’The Ranger in February.
Details regarding specific WB and DC projects for Spotify are not available, including when they will be launched. Spotify promised annual new dramatic and humorous podcasts from Burner Bros., but the companies refused to prove the amount of specific projects under contract.
On behalf of Warner Bros., WPTV’s Blue Ribbon Content Digital Studio’s EVP and Warner Bros. Animation’s alternative programming will be led by Robert Steele, SVP of Business Strategy, and the Spartify Partnership will be managed by Spartify Network. The two will co-develop and produce the programming in collaboration with Spotify, which is responsible for marketing, advertising, and the distribution of the program exclusively on its platform. Girardi will serve as creative leader and oversees aspects of the Steel Partnership business.
“We’ve seen an explosive growth in podcasting around the world. We’re thrilled to partner with Warner Bros. to create this slate of programming from DC and WB’s World,” said Don Astroff, Spotify’s chief content and advertising business officer.
Steele and Girardi added, “Warner Bros. has been synonymous with compelling and unforgettable storytelling for almost a century, and we’re expanding that legacy across all kinds of media platforms for our fans … We’re excited to bring favorite characters and new ones from DC and Warner Bros. Uses our storytelling skills to redefine what is possible in this world of franchises and scripted audio spaces. “
The Warner Bros. fire has other iron in the podcast. In January, the studio’s Warner Bros. Digital Networks announced the first described contract for narrative podcasts with Renee Day Podcast, a new company made up of Jagged Film partners Mick Jagger and Victoria Pierman, producer Steve Bing and author Josh Olson.
Spotify provides free, ad-supported or paid (ad-free) access to over 50 million songs and other audio tracks, with over 1 million podcast titles. As of the first quarter of 2020, Spotify had 286 million users, including 130 million Spotify premium subscribers.