PodcastOne stakes out Australia in 2017 with Southern Cross Austereo alliance

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PodcastOne and leading Australian radio group Southern Cross Austereo (SCA) will jointly launch PodcastOne Australia in 2017. The deal marks an important internationalization of American-based podcasting, a dramatic territorial expansion of the PodcastOne brand, a milestone entree into the podcasting field for SCA, and a general lift for Australian podcasting.

“I am thrilled that SCA has this opportunity to be partnering with PodcastOne,” said  Grant Blackley, CEO of Southern Cross. “This partnership gives us the ability to tap into the expertise, experience and success of the leading commercial podcast company in the U.S. market, where the podcasting industry is a number of years ahead of audio, on-demand in Australia.”

It’s a two-way alliance that will see Australian podcasts appearing on the U.S. website of PodcastOne, and its mobile app. Existing PodcastOne programs will be distributed via the PodcastOne Australia app, which will launch “early in 2017.” At the same time, the two companies will jointly develop new shows. Managing all this on the Australian side is Grant Tothill, formerly Head of Strategic Partnerships for SCA. Tothill now assumes a newly created role as Head of Podcasting. He will lead a team currently being structured within the company to develop talent (new and existing) and commission content.

PodcastOne CEO Jim Berk emphasized the breakthrough nature of the deal, for his company and for podcasting generally. “This is PodcastOne’s first partnership outside of the U.S. — really the first of its kind in the podcast industry all together — and Executive Chairman Norm Pattiz and I are very excited it is with Southern Cross Austereo, who leads the radio and audio industry in Australia.”

Southern Cross Austereo reached 95% of Australis with its radio, TV, and digital brands. PodcastOne manages a portfolio of 200 programs whose shows were downloaded 1.5-billion times in 2015.

Brad Hill