ESPN, iHeartRadio, NPR, PMM, Stitcher, WNYC Studios and Wondery will bring marquee podcast talent to unveil industry announcements
LOS ANGELES– Seven of the industry’s top podcast networks will present Winter Podcast Upfront – the first-ever West Coast podcast upfront event – on Feb. 20 at leading global talent and entertainment company United Talent Agency’s headquarters in Beverly Hills.
The Winter Podcast Upfront will give advertisers, agencies and media a first look at the newest partnerships, talent and shows slated for 2019. Presentations will feature stars, producers and leading industry executives.
Among the highlights planned for the upcoming Winter Podcast Upfront:
Stitcher and its advertising arm, Midroll, will be joined by actor and comedian Paul Scheer, who launched his movie critique podcast “Unspooled” on Stitcher’s Earwolf comedy podcast network last year and is the host of Earwolf’s long-running hit show “How Did This Get Made?” Sean Rameswaram, host of “Today Explained,” will also join Stitcher onstage to unveil its expanding slate of partnerships and new and returning shows including “Voyage to the Stars,” “First Day Back” and “LeVar Burton Reads.”
NPR podcast hosts Sam Sanders (“It’s Been a Minute”); Kelly McEvers (“Embedded”); and David Greene (“Up First”) discuss creativity, building community with their audiences, the power of audio storytelling and innovation at NPR. NPR’s Senior Vice President of Programming and Audience Development Anya Grundmann will share updates on new seasons of hit podcasts “Invisibilia,” “Embedded” and “Rough Translation,” and with new programming announcements.
Wondery, the makers of “Dirty John” and “Dr. Death,” is the leading independent podcast publisher. CEO Hernan Lopez will introduce its newest Event Miniseries, “Over My Dead Body,” and the Bloomberg co-production “The Shrink Next Door.” Clint Schaff from the Los Angeles Times will present its next co-production with Wondery. Liz Dolan and Rico Gagliano, co-hosts of “Safe For Work,” will join acclaimed actor Justin Long, who will introduce the upcoming “Getting Along With Justin Long.”
ESPN’s segment will be hosted by Stephen A. Smith, long a fan favorite from “First Take,” with a podcast of his midday radio show, being one of ESPN’s most popular. He will review ESPN’s podcasting business and put the spotlight on key initiatives including a new season of “30 for 30” podcasts, NBA offerings and the recently formed Dan Le Batard and Friends podcast network. Smith will be joined by reporter Ramona Shelburne, “30 for 30” producer Julia Henderson, host Ryen Russillo and NBA insider Brian Windhorst.
Podcast Media Marketing is the sales team for top podcasts including “The Joe Rogan Experience,” “Armchair Expert” with Dax Shepard, “This American Life,” “Serial,” “Anna Faris is Unqualified” and other top comedy podcasts. PMM’s CEO David Raphael will be joined at Upfront by Armchair Expert Tom Segura from “Your Mom’s House” podcast and Bert Kreischer from Bertcast. PMM will also share Topher Grace’s new show “Minor Adventures” from Unqualified Media.
WNYC Studios Chief Marketing Officer Lisa Baird, joined by hosts and creators, will preview WNYC Studios’ new offerings, including a podcast from comedian Chris Garcia exploring his father’s passing with humor, humanity and love. Jad Abumrad, the MacArthur Genius behind the trailblazing podcast “Radiolab,” will introduce Latif Nasser, host of a miniseries about another Latif Nasser lost in an American legal nightmare. Tanzina Vega, host of “The Takeaway,” will discuss the show’s mission to address “the wealth gap, the truth gap and the empathy gap.” Baird also will unveil “Audiolab” – a service designed to help advertisers navigate the terrain of audio marketing.
iHeartPodcast Network President Conal Byrne will take a close look at podcasting past, present and future – joined by Holly Frey, co-host of the longtime mega hit “Stuff You Missed in History Class,” who’s leading a new slate of edgy and incredible food and fashion shows; Jake Brennan, creator of the explosive “Disgraceland” (the new season is right around the corner); and the hilarious Carolina Barlow, co-host of the new number one hit, “The Ron Burgundy Podcast.”
United Talent Agency’s emerging platforms division is the market leader in podcast representation, creation, distribution, syndication and incubation. The division represents top podcast talent and networks, working across the company to create business opportunities for clients beyond their shows. The roster includes acclaimed creators and podcasts such as “The Ron Burgundy Podcast,” “My Favorite Murder,” “Dr. Death,” “Up and Vanished,” “Anna Faris Is Unqualified,” Guy Raz, Esther Perel and Aaron Mahnke.
For more information on the event and schedule of presenters, visit http://winterpodcastupfronts.com.
Media contact:
Kari Wethington, The E.W. Scripps Company, 513-977-3763, [email protected]
Event Contact:
Dan Franks, [email protected]