Video-First Strategy Drives True Crime Expansion
PAVE Studios is making a significant bet on video content with the expansion of its Crime House true crime brand this spring. The Los Angeles-based studio announced it will launch one new video-first series and add weekly video episodes to two existing audio franchises, marking a strategic shift toward multi-platform content delivery.
“When we launched PAVE Studios, the goal was always to be a media company that brought premium creator-led content to fans across every platform,” said PAVE Founder and CEO Max Cutler. “While we have seen great success with audio, our belief that ‘podcasts’ would evolve into a multi-format entertainment category has been validated as the biggest platforms are now making real investments in video infrastructure and monetization.”
Three Series Drive Video Expansion
The expansion centers on three key shows that demonstrate Crime House’s video-first approach:
America’s Most Infamous Crimes
The brand’s newest original series launched March 24 with host Katie Ring, who brings over 1.2 million social media followers to the project. The show examines notorious criminal cases through a three-episode weekly format, starting with cases like Ted Bundy, the Idaho Murders, and Jeffrey Dahmer. Ring, a self-defense instructor whose Karen Read trial coverage went viral, focuses on how these crimes changed American law and culture.
“These cases didn’t just make headlines. They changed laws, shifted investigations, and left patterns that still show up today,” Ring explained. “Most people know the story they were told. America’s Most Infamous Crimes is about everything they weren’t told.”
Murder True Crime Stories Goes Visual
Starting March 27, the established audio series began releasing weekly video episodes on YouTube. Host Carter Roy, known for the long-running Parcast series Conspiracy Theories, explores notorious murders while focusing on the people most impacted by these crimes.
Conspiracy Theories, Cults & Crimes Adds Video
Beginning April 4, host Vanessa Richardson’s series launched weekly video episodes covering cases that blur the line between fact and fiction. Richardson, a veteran true crime creator who hosts three Crime House franchises, emphasized video’s role in deepening host-audience relationships.
“True crime thrives on intimacy,” Richardson noted. “Listeners spend hours with hosts every week. That builds a level of trust and connection traditional media can’t match. Video doesn’t change that relationship. It only deepens it.”
As shown in the attached promotional image, Crime House’s roster of creators represents a diverse group of established voices in the true crime space, each bringing their unique perspective to the expanding video slate.
Strategic Response to Platform Evolution
The video expansion reflects broader industry trends as major platforms invest in video infrastructure and monetization tools for podcast content. PAVE Studios has positioned itself to capitalize on this shift by developing franchises that work across video, audio, and social platforms from inception.
Since launching just over a year ago, Crime House has built a portfolio of 10 original series reaching millions of monthly listeners and viewers. The brand’s creator roster boasts over 50 million combined followers, including Morgan Absher, Kaelyn Moore, Heidi Wong, Sarah Turney, Dr. Tristin Engels, and Kourtney Nichole.
The spring video push joins existing video-first originals including “Clues” with Morgan Absher and Kaelyn Moore, “Crimes Of…” with Sabrina Deana-Roga and Corinne Vien, and “Twisted Tales” with Heidi Wong.
For podcast industry professionals, PAVE Studios’ aggressive video expansion demonstrates how successful audio brands can leverage existing audiences while building new revenue streams across platforms. The company’s approach of developing content for seamless cross-platform distribution may serve as a model for other podcast networks looking to expand beyond traditional audio formats.
Source: Podwires Newsletter
