In today’s podcast news roundup, My Paranormal Network is set to launch next week with a slate of original podcasts and more for fans of the supernatural; Stephen King is getting his first podcast, based on “Strawberry Spring”; NBA star Carmelo Anthony debuts podcast edition of his wine-focused YouTube series; IAB announces details for its fall podcast upfront; and more.
LAUNCHES
My Paranormal Network, a new online fandom destination, is scheduled to launch July 26 at myparanormal.net, anchored by 13 original podcasts about spooky places and scary cases hosted by popular personalities in the genre. In addition to podcasts, My Paranormal Network will host video content and exclusive experiential fan events. The partners behind the network, which plans to generate revenue via subscriptions, advertising and branded merchandise, are: Michael Yudin, who founded production company MY Entertainment (behind “Ghost Adventures” on Discovery Plus and Travel Channel); TV and podcast development executives Rob Cohen and Christine Roth of Co-Conspiracy Entertainment; Michael Schmidt, former CCO of Red Arrow Studios; and Neil Patel of Shipyard Entertainment. My Paranormal Network’s podcast lineup will feature interview show “Must Love Horror” hosted by couple Josh Malerman (author of “Bird Box”) and artist-musician Allison Laakko; and “Hellacious Renovations,” about cursed haunted house renovations from Dean Haglund (“The X-Files”).
Voyage Media, which calls itself an incubator of original film and TV content, on July 19 launched podcast production division with three new podcasts: scripted thrillers “Otzi the Iceman Must Die” starring Ethan Suplee (“Remember The Titans”); “Let Me Tell You about My Murder,” a scripted drama based on the true story of a mother investigating her daughter’s death by drug overdose; and “True War Stories,” an anthology of historical true war stories told by veterans who lived them. The shows are being made available on voyagemedia.fm, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and other platforms.
GREENLIGHTS
Stephen King set a deal for his first podcast in partnership with Jared Gutstadt’s Audio Up Media, iHeartMedia and producer Lee Metzger. The scripted show, “Strawberry Spring,” is based on King’s short story of the same name that appeared in his 1978 collection “Night Shift.” Metzger will write and direct; the cast is set to include Garrett Hedlund, Milo Ventimiglia, Herizen Guardiola, Sydney Sweeney, Ken Marino and Al Madrigal. The story revolves around the unsolved mystery of a serial killer called Springheel Jack who reemerges eight years after his first killing spree at a New England college — and a journalist, a former student at the school, becomes obsessed with tracking down the murderer.
DATES
TheSkimm on Wednesday (July 21) launched “9 to 5ish with theSkimm,” a weekly career podcast for millennial women, hosted by company co-founders and co-CEOs Carly Zakin and Danielle Weisberg. Each 30-minute episode features women leaders in conversation about the defining moments in their careers and the lessons they’ve picked up along the way. The premiere episode features Bumble CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd; future guests are set to include Paris Hilton, Gayle King, journalist Rashida Jones and Esther Perel.
“Call Her Daddy,” hosted by Alex Cooper, made its exclusive debut on Spotify on July 21 with special guest Chelsea Handler. Spotify last month inked an exclusive deal for “Call Her Daddy,” which sources said was worth more than $60 million. The podcast previously was distributed by Barstool Sports. Listen to the episode at this link.
Carmelo Anthony and his multiplatform content company, Creative 7, teamed with Audacy’s Cadence13 to launch the podcast edition of the NBA all-star’s wine-focused YouTube series “What’s In Your Glass?” All-new episodes will debut July 22 on Apple Podcasts, Audacy, Spotify and other podcast platforms. On the show, Anthony invites listeners to sit in on chats with guests from the worlds of sports, wine, business, entertainment, music, politics and more over a glass (or two) of wine. Notable upcoming guests include Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, singer Andra Day, Oscar-winning filmmaker Shaka King, rapper T-Pain, and NBA star JJ Redick. In addition to the world of wine, Anthony will lead conversations about social justice and other timely issues. “What’s In Your Glass?” new episodes will be available every Thursday across podcast platforms and on YouTube. Listen to the trailer at this link.
Cavalry Audio, the podcast division of Cavalry Media, is releasing podcast series “Forever Young,” hosted by cosmetic surgeons, longtime colleagues and friends Dr. John Layke and Dr. Payman Danielpour, on July 21. In the show, the two doctors, founders of the Beverly Hills MD skincare line, delve into the world of cosmetic surgery and skincare. New episodes will launch every Wednesday on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts and other podcast platforms.
Marc Smerling’s Truth Media, in partnership with Sony Music Entertainment, on July 21 premiered the first two episodes of podcast “Firebug,” examining the case of a serial arsonist in Southern California in the early ’90s. Hosted by Kary Antholis, Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker and founder of Crime Story Media, “Firebug” explores the complex story of how a manuscript for a novel that circulated throughout Hollywood helped reveal the true origins behind the catastrophic L.A. fires.
Investigation Discovery’s “Reasonable Doubt” stars Chris Anderson, a retired homicide detective, and Fatima Silva, a criminal defense attorney, on July 20 launched Season 2 of “The Reasonable Doubt Podcast” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other platforms. The aftershow companion podcast features Anderson and Silva elaborate on the investigations from the TV show, provide updates on where each case stands now, and discuss what didn’t make it into each episode. The podcast is hosted by Rob Rosen, series creator and executive producer, produced for Investigation Discovery by Painless Productions and RPR Media.
LiveXLive Media’s PodcastOne launched “Cheating: When Love Lies” hosted by Jillian Hamilton. The podcast, which debuted July 20, is a “deep dive into the complex emotions surrounding these secret unions.” Hamilton will narrate her short fictional stories about cheating based on true-life events, followed by a roundtable discussion with everyday people reacting to the story. The show is available on PodcastOne, Apple, Spotify, Facebook, Amazon and other podcast platforms.
EVENTS
IAB, the digital advertising trade group, is launching a four-day series of events Sept. 9-15, led by the 2021 IAB Podcast Upfront Fall series (Sept. 9-10), an invitation-only event for brand marketers and media buyers. Current confirmed presenters include: Acast; Adonde Media; AdvertiseCast; The Atlantic; Audacy’s Cadence13, Pineapple Street Studios, and Podcorn; Chartable; Kerning Cultures; LAist Studios; NPR; Osiris Media; Podsights; Sony Music Entertainment; TransUnion; WarnerMedia; and WBUR. The podcast upfront series will be followed by the first-ever IAB Fall Marketplace for digital video and connected-TV buyers, and IAB’s Audience Connect: Balancing Privacy, Personalization, and Safety event.
