Video Providers Step Up Podcasting Game

In a sea of 800000 podcasts these video companies39 value proposition for brands and fans is their expertise If they can parlay hit TV shows into companion podcasts or use nuggets from TV to create podcasts that appeal to their loyal fans they stand to grow their audience and generate incremental ad dollarsquotPodcasts bring advertising partners the ability to reach audiences in a refreshing and more personalized way that enables a different type of relationship with the consumer for example through hostread adsquot says Jason Baron senior vice president of direct marketing for WarnerMedia ad salesAs more Americans quotcut the cordquot and cancel their payTV service cable and broadcast networks must find new avenues to engage audiences promote their video content and generate additional revenue amp8212 all while streaming services hunt to grow their subscriber countsPodcasting offers opportunities to hit all of those notes As the podcast industry booms onequarter of Americans are listening to podcasts weekly according to Edison Research And advertisers are projected to spend 831 million in the space this year per Magna39s latest estimatesFor those seeking a roadmap to leveraging podcasting AE Networks has charted a strong path The company which owns AampampE and HISTORY Channel ventured into the space several years ago identifying hit shows that could be reimagined as podcasts or enhanced with a companion podcast One example is AampampE39s Cold Case Files podcast now in its sixth season The podcast takes audio from the TV show to create bonus content Another podcast PD Stories is an extension of hit TV series Live PD and features the TV hosts sharing new stories exclusively for the podcastThe podcast and programming teams now work closely together notes Jessie Katz AE Networks39 director of audio programming and podcasting quotWe39re connected at every step in the development process considering what linear series could look like as a podcast and vice versaquot she says AE owns content and the intellectual property rights to its shows allowing for seamless developmentAmong videobased brands venturing into podcasting more recently WarnerMedia Podcast Network is at the forefront The ATampampTowned organization boasts a slate of original podcasts that reflect its networks including Cartoon Network CNN HBO HLN TBS TCM TNT and TruTVExamples of how they are aligning the networks39 expertise and fan interests include the new truecrime podcast from HLN Down the Hill the Delphi Murders an investigation into an unsolved murder mystery and TCM39s The Plot Thickens about the life and work of director Peter Bogdanovich On the lighter side WarnerMedia recently debuted Give Them Lalaamp8230and Randall a talkshow style weekly podcast featuring reality TV star Lala Kent and her fiancamp233e Randall Emmett dishing on fashion lifestyle and social issuesSister sales division Xandr has also recently made a foray into B2B podcastsOne challenge for video companies is getting comfortable with podcast measurement amp8212 or the lack thereof In podcasting there aren39t thirdparty ratings that linear networks and their advertisers use as currency for media buys Publishers can see some basic information on downloads and generic demographics or subscribe to custom studies such as Nielsen39s new Podcast Listener Buying Power serviceAudience reaction can be a guide When AE39s HISTORY This Week podcast launched within just two weeks it reached the number one ranking among history podcasts in the Apple podcast app With that rapid ascent quotwe know we39re on the right trackquot Katz saysLooking for similar hits other video providers are doubling down NBCUniversal39s SYFY channel amp8212 which uses its SYFY Wire website to distribute podcasts amp8212 has been rolling out an aggressive slate of new podcasts These include the weekly show Battlestar Galacticast which revisits episodes of the classic series and Forgotten Women of Genre spotlighting women39s contributions to the science fiction worldAlso at NBCUniversal the Universal Content Productions is launching the UCP Audio network to create original podcasts kicking off with The End Up a scripted series about a retreat for cancer patients seeking to end their lives as well as a pair of unscripted truecrime showsDiscovery Networks has said it will add podcasts to augment video on its forthcoming streaming platform And AMC Networks is building its audio catalog particularly with truecrime and investigative podcasts for Sundance ChannelWhile TV shows require extensive planning and costly production podcasting allows producers to be nimble and stretch their dollars UCP President Dawn Olmstead has said She estimated that it39s possible to produce a six to eightepisode podcast for the same price as a moderate to highlypriced spec scriptquotYou don39t have to build sets you don39t have to wait for availability for actors you can literally write it that night and be in the audio booth the next dayquot Olmstead saysTo meet increasing demand from Hispanic listeners Univision is adding news and entertainmentthemed Spanishlanguage podcasts including a new podcast to peek behind the curtain of the Premios Lo Nuestro Spanishlanguage music awards show Premio Lo Nuestro Podcast features behindthescenes interviews and soundbites and is the first of several podcasts Univision plans to add this year to accompany its highprofile tentpole TV eventsABC CBS and NBC are adding podcasts at varying degrees particularly from their news divisions Even streaming video services are in the mix with Netflix planning a slate of original podcasts and Apple reportedly developing podcasts to support its new Apple original showsHowever as new podcasts flood the market daily video services are a little late to the podcast space and it may take some time to find an audience To generate buzz TV and streaming video services can lean on their ability to crosspromote across digital linear and social media channels Also their seasoned sales teams can leverage established relationships with brand advertisers bundling audio with existing ad packages or offering it up as an experimental productPlus video loyalists are already showing a willingness to turn their favorite networks into digital audio notes Trevor Fellows executive vice president digital sales ampamp strategy NBCUniversal quotAs we39ve expanded our brands beyond the TV screen and into the world of podcastingquot he says quotwe39ve seen their avid fandoms follow amp8212 proving the power of a great story to inspire and engage consumers as well as drive real results for marketersquotDon39t stop now Stay in the know on audiopodcasting trends with more from Audio InSites and Alli RomanoClick the social buttons to share this story with colleagues and friendsThe opinions expressed here are the author39s views and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNetamp160

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Video Providers Step Up Podcasting Game

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Alli Romano

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