As podcasts secure bigger and more influential fan bases, shows and their creators have been able to land even more impressive deals. The latest is for Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark, the brains behind My Favorite Murder. The pair secured a two-year deal worth at least $10 million with podcast operation Stitcher. Sources familiar with the negotiations told The Wall Street Journal that the E.W. Scripps-owned Stitcher will offer ad representation and development funds to the podcasters, as well as more general resources for their Exactly Right Network.
Podcast networks such as Stitcher, Spotify, iHeartMedia, and Luminary have been working to secure content deals with big names, either already-established podcasters or celebrities from other fields. With so many listeners drawn to the intimate nature of podcasts, leveraging existing fame can help both a new show and a network to create a critical mass in their audiences.