As competition increases for content, Spotify on Wednesday landed another major podcast deal — this time, with J.J. Abrams’ Los Angeles production company, Bad Robot.
The exclusive, multi-year deal will give Spotify a first look at new narrative non-fiction and fiction podcasts out of Bad Robot’s new audio division, Bad Robot Audio.
“Bad Robot productions have produced some of the world’s most riveting and award-winning content and we cannot wait to see how their imaginative stories transcend into the audio space,” said Dawn Ostroff, Spotify’s chief content and advertising business officer in a statement. “We are committed to bringing some of the world’s most respected and dynamic creators to Spotify exclusively, and we are thrilled to add Bad Robot and J.J. Abrams’s mind bending and world building stories, alongside their hugely loyal following of dedicated fans, to our wide-ranging catalogue of world-class audio talent.”
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
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Bad Robot, formed by Abrams in 2001, has produced popular TV series such as “Alias” and “Westworld,” and films including “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”
“Podcasts have obviously become a go-to destination for entertainment, education and discovery,” Abrams, Bad Robot’s co-CEO, said in a statement. “Given Bad Robot’s work in TV, film, games and music, podcasts was an obvious topic of conversation within the company for a long time.”
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Bad Robot on Wednesday said its audio division would be led by head of podcasts Christina Choi, who was previously a director of content partnerships at Amazon-owned audio book and podcast company Audible and is a former Spotify executive.
While Spotify has been seen as a leader in developing and landing original and exclusive podcasts, competition has heated up among rivals to beef up their content and advertising revenue. At least two podcast programs ended their exclusive arrangements with Spotify after their deals ended.