The Hollywood Reporter (Weekly)
Podcast Giant Audible Leans in to Star Deals
Audible, the podcast and audiobook company, is on a dealmaking spree to bring top Hollywood talent to its platform.
The Amazon-owned firm, run by executive chairman Don Katz and CEO Bob Carrigan, inked a multiproject first-look development deal with Queen Latifah and Shakim Compere’s Flavor Unit production company July 19, its fourth star pact since early June.
The first project from this audio-only deal is a shortform Audible Original, Streets, Rhymes & Sugar: A Hip-Hop Memoir, from screenwriter Michael Elliot,
that is set for release Aug. 5. Additionally, Queen Latifah will host an upcoming seven-part series on community activists, Unity in the Community.
On July 12, Audible inked a first-look podcast deal with Laura Dern and Jayme Lemons’ Jaywalker Pictures. The company also unveiled a worldwide, multiyear development deal with Kenya Barris’ Khalabo Ink Society in June, which comes on the heels of other partnerships with industry figures like Elizabeth Banks, Conan O’Brien’s Team Coco, Stephen Curry’s Unanimous Media, Kevin Hart’s HartBeat Productions, Charlamagne tha God’s
CThaGod World Productions and LeBron James and Maverick Carter’s SpringHill.
Audible — which charges $7.95 a month for subscribers and hasn’t disclosed how many users it has — is ramping up its deals as other podcast giants like Spotify are striking partnerships with such bold names as the Obamas and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to bring well-known talent to their platforms. “We have a tremendous slate of upcoming content and a massive pipeline in development,” says Zola Mashariki, head of Audible Studios, adding that more major deals are “on the horizon.” — J. CLARA CHAN