In a merger of traditional broadcast and new media, Canadian radio/TV company Rogers Media is buying specialty podcast company Pacific Content. Pacific produces branded podcasts for companies seeking to market brand awareness through owned-and-operated podcasts related to their businesses. Pacific Content is widely regarded as a leading producer of branded shows for clients across North America. The company website lists 17 shows.
In its announcement, Rogers notes that 26% of Canadians listen to podcasts monthly, and 18% listen weekly. (Those stats are from The Canadian Podcast Listener study from last year, presented at RAIN Summit Canada.)
“Podcasting is a big part of the future of audio. We quickly identified its immense potential and are being aggressive in this space,” said Julie Adam, Senior Vice President, Rogers Radio.
Pacific Content launched in 2015 and is HQ’d in Vancouver.
Audio storytelling is a key to this deal. “With the rapid evolution of digital audio, especially in the podcast industry, there is an untapped opportunity for our marketers to engage directly with their potential consumers through the art of storytelling – adding value to their specific market or industry, while creating brand relevance,” said Alan Dark, Senior Vice President, Rogers Media Sales.
Steve Pratt, who moderated the keynote interview at RAIN’s Podcast Business Summit in March, made this statement: “We have found an incredibly smart, bold, and collaborative partner in Rogers Media,” said Steve Pratt, Vice President, Pacific Content. “Both Rogers Media and Pacific Content share a strong passion in driving forward the future of both audio and branded content, and we can’t wait to start working together to take advantage of our combined strengths, experience, and creativity.”
This is not Rogers’ first dip in the podcast pool; the company create the Frequency Podcast Network in 2018.