Global partners with The Story Lab (Dentsu) for podcast commissioning

UK-centered media company Global has struck a partnership with The Story Lab, an offshoot of dentsu international. The arrangement is focused on podcasts, with the two entities co-commissioning a slate of six new shows over the next 12 months.

One strategic angle is to create podcasts which are candidates for video crossover. Potential categories include True Crime, Comedy, Entertainment, and Sports.

The launch show is set — it is Hunting Ghislaine, investigating the elusive and controversial life of Ghislaine Maxwell. It tells the story of the former associate of Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, who is accused of child sex trafficking and perjury and currently awaits trial in New York.

Global’s DAX programmatic audio platform plays a part in  driving the deal. specifics are not disclosed, but this line in the press release indicates the value of DAX to Story Lab: “Global’s data-driven advertising platform, DAX, will drive programmatic ad sales and offer advertisers rich listening insights and performance metrics.”

For Global, this hook-up advances its mission to grow listenership outside of, but connected to, the company’s radio network. In the past six months alone, Global has launched podcast hits including Spencer & Vogue, a podcast from celebrity couple Spencer Matthews and Vogue Williams, I can’t believe it’s not Buddha from comedian Lee Mack & Neil Webster, and What Next with Lionel Barber starring the former editor of the Financial Times.

Katie Bowden, Director of Commercial Audio at Global, said: “We could not have found a better partner than The Story Lab for this game-changing partnership. Starting with ‘Hunting Ghislaine’, our shared ambition is to drive the UK podcast industry forward at pace and create compelling partnership opportunities for advertisers through fascinating stories delivered through the market leading Global Player platform.

James Morris, Executive Director, Creative, Dentsu UK & Ireland said: “Working with the best entertainment and brand partners, we will tell compelling stories to make meaningful progress in the world. We have a strong creative partnership with Global, and in John Sweeney, we have found a storyteller that is more committed than anyone to that cause. There is huge human interest in Ghislaine Maxwell. This is a story that needs to be told.”

.

Brad Hill