“Torched” will return for a second season with Molly Bloom, the former professional skier turned poker impresario, coming back as host of the podcast. The show will once again pull back the curtain on some of the most controversial Olympic stories of all time, as well as provide deep dives into other sports yarns. The 18-episode run will kick off on July 12.
With a mix of documentary-style storytelling and interviews with athletes, the premiere coincides with the Tour De France with two special episodes on the cycling competition that will include an exclusive interview with Lance Armstrong. Episodes will also tackle the 50th anniversary of Title IX, Russian doping at the 2022 Winter Olympics and a miniseries on the World Cup.
The show’s first season aired during the Beijing 2022 games. Bloom’s story was previously captured in the memoir and subsequent film “Molly’s Game.” “Torched” is produced by FilmNation Entertainment in association with Gilded Audio and is being distributed by Stitcher exclusively through SXM Media, SiriusXM’s combined sales organization. Both seasons are available for free on all podcast apps. The production is led by Alyssa Martino for FilmNation, and Whitney Donaldson and Kelsey Albright for Gilded Audio.
“I’m absolutely honored to keep telling stories from these athletes who have made so many sacrifices to achieve greatness,” says Bloom. “There’s a shared experience and vulnerability in our conversations, which I hope will resonate deeply — not just with athletes or sports fans, but with anyone who has faced hardship and worked tirelessly to overcome a goal.”
“The world of professional sports is one only a select few get to fully experience. We couldn’t be prouder to continue our partnership with Molly who will keep leading us through this tension-filled, entertaining world along with all the incredibly inspiring athletes that are joining her this season,” says Martino.
FilmNation is best known for its work on films such as “Arrival” and “Promising Young Woman,” as well as television shows such as “I Know This Much Is True.” But it has moved aggressively into the podcasting space, producing “Murder on the Towpath,” a true crime series hosted by Soledad O’Brien as well as the genre-bending science-fiction anthology “Hyper-Thetical,” hosted by actress Kerry Bishé. Gilded Audio is the production studio behind recent Spotify original “Revelations.”
