Multi-Year Extension Strengthens True Crime Portfolio
PodcastOne (Nasdaq: PODC) has announced the renewal of its exclusive rights and distribution agreement with A+E Networks, extending their successful partnership for five popular podcast series. The deal covers Cold Case Files, I Survived, American Justice, City Confidential, and Ancient Aliens, all of which are podcast adaptations of A+E’s television programming.
Since the partnership began in 2017 with just one podcast, the collaboration has expanded significantly. The five shows have collectively generated over 200 million downloads and produced more than 1,100 episodes, demonstrating the strong audience appetite for true crime and mystery content in podcast format.
Strong Performance Drives Renewal
“At PodcastOne we’re a full scope podcasting network that operates with a white glove boutique agency philosophy allowing us to work closely with our partners to grow podcast audiences,” said Kit Gray, President and Co-Founder of PodcastOne. “We couldn’t be prouder of the impact our relationship with A+E has had on translating their programming to podcast form, and we look forward to collaborating for years to come.”
Each podcast serves as an extension of A+E Networks’ linear television broadcasts, allowing fans to engage with the content across multiple platforms and providing additional monetization opportunities for the network’s popular programming.
Popular True Crime Lineup
The renewed agreement covers a diverse range of content that appeals to true crime enthusiasts:
- Cold Case Files – Hosted by Paula Barros, this Emmy-nominated series explores difficult-to-solve murders that went cold for decades before breakthroughs in forensic technology helped crack the cases
- I Survived – Features first-person accounts of survivors who overcame life-threatening circumstances
- American Justice – Provides inside looks at groundbreaking criminal cases through the perspectives of law enforcement and victims
- City Confidential – Explores real-life stories from American cities, focusing on murder cases and public corruption
- Ancient Aliens – Examines theories about extraterrestrial visits to Earth throughout history
Distribution Across Major Platforms
PodcastOne’s extensive distribution network ensures these shows reach audiences across all major podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, iHeartRadio, and Amazon. The company has built a distribution network reaching over 1 billion monthly impressions across all channels.
The renewed partnership underscores the continued growth of the true crime podcast genre and the value of adapting successful television content for audio consumption. With PodcastOne’s total downloads surpassing 3.9 billion across its entire network of 200 podcasters, the A+E partnership represents a significant portion of the platform’s content strategy.
This deal positions both companies to capitalize on the sustained popularity of true crime content while exploring opportunities for future collaborative programming initiatives.
Source: Podwires Newsletter
