Report: Podcast Deal Makes Pandora Talk Radio Giant

With one fell swoop, Pandora just became one of the most significant talk radio networks in the world.

Music Business Worlwide reports the streaming services has just become the exclusive streaming partner for breakout podcast Serial.

Brian McAndrews

Season One of the celebrated podcast, from creators This American Life, will be made available in its entirety on Pandora from November 24 – just before the Thanksgiving holiday.

Season Two doesn’t yet have an official launch date. But it will ‘air’ on Pandora every Thursday at 6am ET – simulcast on the Serial podcast feed (where listeners can also access the podcast).

Over eight million people have downloaded each episode of Serial’s first season.

On weeks that Serial is not coming out with new episodes, This American Life is usually the US’s most popular podcast, with over 2.2 million downloads per episode.

Pandora’s 78m listeners will be able to select which episodes they would like to listen to, as well as where in the episode they would like to tune in.

Ira Glass

“Serial Season One was a phenomenon and we at Pandora are among the many eagerly anticipating Season Two,” said Brian McAndrews, CEO of Pandora.

Ira Glass, editorial advisor of Serial and host of This American Life, said: “For people already listening to Serial and This American Life, nothing will change. But we believe lots of people who’d like our shows simply haven’t heard of them, or haven’t started listening to podcasts.

“Serial is the biggest podcast in the world, but only 17% of Americans listen to podcasts at all. That’s why it’s so exciting for us to work with Pandora.

“Pandora reaches millions of people who never listen to public radio or download podcasts. This’ll get our shows to them.”