Higher Ground

Acast To Manage Ad Sales And Distribution For Higher Ground Podcasts

~ jen

Acast, the world’s largest independent podcast company, will manage ad sales and content for Higher Ground podcasts. 

The relationship between Acast and Higher Ground is a win for listeners across the United States and around the globe. Acast will make several Higher Ground podcasts available to audiences for free on all podcast platforms and listening apps globally. Select higher ground podcasts will now support sponsorships, advertising, and branded integrations through Acast’s industry-leading technology, which allows brands to reach listeners of those podcasts across all platforms.

Higher Ground produces some of the most popular and iconic podcasts in the industry – including the recently launched Audible Original series Michelle Obama: The Light Podcast; the hit series Renegades: Born in the USA, a series of conversations between President Barack Obama and Bruce Springsteen and released as a New York Times bestselling book based on the podcast; Tell Them, I Am, an audio collection of universal stories from Muslim voices; The Big Hit Show, a series of audio documentaries hosted by Alex Pappademas that focuses on the pieces of popular culture that have defined and changed our culture; as well as The Sum Of Us, from Heather McGhee, author of the New York Times bestselling book of the same name.

The deal follows Higher Ground’s collaboration with Audible for a first-look podcast deal and the launch of Michelle Obama: The Light Podcast, an Audible Original podcast. Each podcast episode will be exclusively on Audible for two weeks, and then will be distributed widely by Acast and available wherever podcasts are found.

“Higher Ground continues to deliver among the most engaging and high-caliber audio content in the industry, and we look forward to teaming up with them to make vital storytelling available to communities all over the globe,” said Ross Adams, CEO at Acast. “This relationship marks an exciting new chapter not only for Acast, but for the audio industry at large, as we work hand-in-hand to make the world a more connected place.”

Dan Fierman, Head of Audio at Higher Ground, stated, “We’ve been deeply impressed by the creativity and innovation of the Acast team. We are excited to work with their team to bring our growing state of audio content to existing fans and new audiences.”

Now, brands and agencies can purchase ads, sponsorships, and integrated branded content partnerships on a number of Higher Ground podcasts that make use of Acast’s pioneering dynamic ad insertion technology, which allows advertisers to reach audiences using conventional targeting, first-party data targeting, listener demographics, location, and more. Ads may be purchased from Acast either programmatically or direct. Sponsors can work with the Acast Creative team to create bespoke brand integrations, such as branded mini-series, episodes, or Sponsored Stories for those podcasts.

Obamas To Leave Spotify To Seek Podcast Deal Elsewhere

~ jen

Former President Barack Obama, and Former First Lady Michelle Obama, will not renew their exclusive partnership with Spotify, according to three people familiar with the matter. Bloomberg appears to be the first to report this news.

The former first family’s production company, Higher Ground, won’t be signing a new deal with the audio platform according to people familiar with the negotiations. The company is instead talking to other distributors about a deal worth tens of millions of dollars, among the most-lucrative in the podcasting business.

According to Bloomberg, Higher Ground is in the middle of negotiations with several potential partners, including Amazon.com Inc’s Audible and iHeartMedia Inc., said the people, who asked not to be identified because the conversations are private. Higher Ground is seeking a deal that will allow it to produce several shows and release them on multiple platforms at the same time. Bloomberg reported that this could explain iHeart’s interest given that it hasn’t historically relied on an exclusive strategy for its podcasts.

Spotify and Higher Ground partnered in June of 2019. Under the Higher Grounds partnership, both Obamas would develop, produce, and lend their voices to select podcasts, connecting them to listeners around the world on wide-ranging topics. The multi-year agreement was with Higher Ground Audio, an expansion of the Higher Ground production company that would oversee the move into podcasts.

In 2020, Higher Ground and Spotify announced The Michelle Obama Podcast. The show was hosted by Michelle Obama, who brought in special guests to discuss topics like sibling relationships and raising children to girlfriends, women’s health, mentorship, and marriage. Bloomberg reported that The Michelle Obama Podcast was one of Spotify’s five most popular podcasts in 2020.

CNN reported in 2021 that Barack Obama and Bruce Springsteen have teamed up to host a podcast about masculinity, race, fatherhood, and their professional and personal journeys. The podcast was called Renegades: Born in the USA and was part of a multi-year partnership between Spotify and Higher Ground.

The Verge reported that it is unclear if the controversy with the Joe Rogan Experience Podcast, and/or the musicians who removed their work from Spotify, contributed to the Obamas’ decision to look for hosting elsewhere.

Considering everything I’ve read about this news, it sounds like Higher Ground is interested in creating and producing podcasts that will not be exclusive to Spotify. It also appears that Spotify is either hesitant about that deal, or is not interested in podcasts that will not be exclusive to their platform.

Higher Ground and Spotify Announce The Michelle Obama Podcast

~ jen

Higher Ground is President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama’s production company. Last summer, it announced a partnership with Spotify to produce podcasts exclusive to the platform. Spotify has announced the first title in the ongoing partnership, The Michelle Obama Podcast.

Hosted by Michelle Obama, the show will bring listeners the First Lady’s most candid, human, and personal conversations to show us what is possible when we dare to be vulnerable. The podcast will debut exclusively on Spotify on July 29, 2020. Like all podcasts on Spotify, it will be available to nearly 300 million Free and Premium users around the world.

The Obamas formed Higher Ground to produce powerful stories to entertain, inform, inspire, and to lift up new, diverse voices in the entertainment industry. Mrs. Obama’s inaugural show is sure to do just that.

“My hope is that this series can be a place to explore meaningful topics together and sort through so many of the questions we’re all trying to answer in our own lives,” Michelle Obama said. “Perhaps most of all, I hope this podcast will help listeners open up new conversations—and hard conversations—with the people who matter most to them. That’s how we can build more understanding and empathy for one another.”

Tune in for episodes on topics ranging from sibling relationships and raising children to girlfriends, women’s health, mentorship, and marriage. An array of special guests, including Dr. Sharon Malone MD, Craig Robinson, Valerie Jarett, Conan O’Brien, and Michele Norris, will join the First Lady for each conversation.

“At Spotify we seek to connect listeners with the world’s most authentic and compelling voices,” said Spotify Chief Content and Advertising Business Officer, Dawn Ostroff. “We believe that audiences across the globe will be inspired by these most candid, most human and most personal conversations between First Lady Michelle Obama and her guests.”

Higher Ground and Spotify Partnered to Produce Podcasts

~ jen

Higher Ground and Spotify announced a partnership to produce podcasts. Higher Ground is former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama’s production company. The Obama’s formed Higher Ground to produce powerful stories to entertain, inform, and inspire and to lift up new, diverse voices in the entertainment industry.

Spotify, which recently surpassed 100 million Premium subscribers and has more than 217 million monthly active users, will distribute the podcasts to audiences across the globe.

Under the Higher Grounds partnership, President and Mrs. Obama will develop, produce, and lend their voices to select podcasts, connecting them to listeners around the world on wide-ranging topics. The multi-year agreement will be with Higher Ground Audio, an expansion of the Higher Ground production company that will oversee the move into podcasts.

When President and Mrs. Obama launched Higher Ground in 2018, with an initial partnership with Netflix, their goal was to create compelling content that entertains and inspires viewers. Recognizing that content is consumed in many forms, this new partnership will give them the ability to expand the conversation, educating and engaging Spotify’s diverse and extensive audience.