Bad Robot, the film/TV firm founded and run by J.J. Abrams, whose franchises include Star Trek and Cloverfield movies, has jumped into audio with the creation of a podcast unit. Entering the field with an influential footprint, the new division has hired Christina Choi, formerly Director of Content Partnerships, Content Acquisition and Development at Audible.
The new enterprise starts off anchored in Spotify, with which Bad Robot has a multi-year exclusive deal in which the streaming audio giant gets first look at prospective podcasts, both scripted and unscripted.
Christina Choi: ex-Audible, ex-Spotify, now Bad Robot and sort-of Spotify again
There is a kind of full-circle aspect to all this: Choi spent seven years at Spotify before her Audible stint, lastly as Senior Creative Producer, Creative Development.
The three principals issued statements:
“Podcasts have obviously become a go-to destination for entertainment, education and discovery. Given Bad Robot’s work in TV, film, games and music, podcasts was an obvious topic of conversation within the company for a long time. We are thrilled to welcome Christina Choi to lead the way, and to collaborate with Dawn and the incredible Spotify team to bring some incredible stories to life,” said Bad Robot’s Co-CEO, JJ Abrams.
“I’m thrilled to join Bad Robot as they expand into the world of podcasting. The medium allows for the imagination of creators to thrive. I’m honored to have the opportunity to build out this new venture with Katie, JJ, Brian, and the Bad Robot team. I’m also looking forward to reuniting with Spotify, which was where I started my career in podcasting. I hope through our partnership we can create quality audio content that is meaningful, inclusive, and creator first,” added Choi.
“We’re incredibly honored to welcome visionary JJ Abrams and his renowned Bad Robot productions into the Spotify family. Bad Robot productions have produced some of the world’s most riveting and award-winning content and we cannot wait to see how their imaginative stories transcend into the audio space” said Dawn Ostroff, Chief Content and Advertising Business Officer. “We are committed to bringing some of the world’s most respected and dynamic creators to Spotify exclusively, and we are thrilled to add Bad Robot and JJ Abrams’s mind bending and world building stories, alongside their hugely loyal following of dedicated fans, to our wide-ranging catalogue of world-class audio talent.”
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