Popular podcast network Earwolf has merged with podcast advertising company Midroll to form a new entity, Midroll Media. From the Midroll blog:
“…Midroll Media, LLC, built from the merger of Earwolf Media, LLC, the pioneering comedy podcast network, and The Mid Roll podcast advertising network. The new company offers a 360-degree suite of production, distribution, and monetization services to artists, entertainers and thought leaders. Advertisers benefit from access to the talented hosts of more than 120 shows and their engaged audiences totaling more than 15 million downloads a month, using the industry’s first user-focused, self-service platform.”
The statement also notes that both Earwolf and Midroll have been successful, bootstrapped companies, and that the people behind both organizations believe podcasting is about to see a surge in growth, thanks to emerging technologies such as the connected car. More from the Midroll blog:
“Earwolf productions consistently rank amongst the top 20 podcasts in the iTunes chart, and are critical favorites. Rolling Stone recently named 4 Earwolf shows in its ’20 Best Comedy Podcasts Right Now’ feature, including ‘How Did This Get Made’ with actor/comedian Paul Scheer and ‘Comedy Bang! Bang!,’ Earwolf’s first podcast, hosted by company co-founder Scott Aukerman. ‘Comedy Bang! Bang!’ was turned into a popular IFC television series now in its third season.”
“Midroll Media exclusively represents shows hosted by some of the most respected names in science and journalism, including ‘StarTalk Radio’ with astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson and ‘DecodeDC’ hosted by former NPR correspondent Andrea Seabrook. Comedian Marc Maron’s breakout podcast ‘WTF’ is also exclusively represented to advertisers by Midroll Media, along with shows from filmmaker Kevin Smith’s Smodcast Network and the influential tech and culture web ‘zine Boing Boing.”
This merger is an interesting step in the evolution of podcasting and podcast networks. I suspect these types of “360” talent/advertising networks will be on the rise in the near future. It makes sense, as creating good content and monetizing it are often two different skill sets.
Posted by Shawn Thorpe