Television and Movie producers are leveraging the power of podcasting
By Cliff Dumas
Podcasts' reach, popularity and engagement have become a new content source and companion vehicle for television and movie producers. Whether the genre is true crime, comedy or something else, there are an estimated 100+ podcasts in various phases of program development by streaming providers and television networks.
The emergence of podcasts as a rich content source for television, movie and streaming productions involves many familiar names backed by large studios and production companies.
Dick Wolf, the Executive Producer and the creator of the “Law & Order” and “Chicago” franchises on NBC and the “FBI” franchise on CBS, will have his scripted podcast series “Dark Woods” turned into a television series by NBCUniversal.
Universal Content Productions, a subsidiary of Universal Pictures, has already converted several podcasts to video. These include Dr. Death, a true-crime drama that debuted as a podcast back in 2018, was turned into television production and debuted on Peacock last year.
Many televisions show now produce companion podcasts that go behind the scenes for fans and do a deeper dive into episode content. Yellowstone is one of my favorites! Bari Finkel is an executive producer at Pineapple Street Media. Finkel oversees a team emerging as a go-to for networks looking to spin out show discussion into the podcast realm. Some of her most recent projects include HBO’s Chernobyl and Watchmen podcasts and Behind The Scenes: Stranger Things for Netflix.
What is the goal of a companion podcast?
Innovative content and access to the inaccessible. Listeners aren’t coming to rehash the storylines they’ve just watched, especially when there are countless online discussion groups commenting or speculating on plot choices. Listeners tune in because companion podcasts are often the one place to put creators on record about their choices, to discover the experiences the actors had on set while filming and to gain insight about the characters they love.
One of the biggest new shows of 2021, Bridgerton has a strong and loyal following on their, official podcast which breaks down all the episodes of Bridgerton from a number of different perspectives.
Late Night with Seth Meyers team has created one of the best television companion podcasts around. The Late Night with Seth Meyers Podcast is a masterstroke in maintaining relevance for talk shows that depend on reacting to top-of-mind stories and pop culture.
Why are television and movie producers looking to podcasting?
According to Cumulus Media, Westwood One and Signal Hill Insights seventh installment of the Podcast Download series. Podcast listeners are avid users of video streaming services, Advertisers can find displaced TV viewers with podcasts. Weekly podcast listeners are flocking to streaming services. 94% have used a video streaming service in the past month. The vast majority (91%) have used an ad-free video streaming service.
The heavier the podcast listener, the more TV streaming content consumed.
Heavy podcast listeners, those who have listened to 6+ hours in the past week, are even more inclined to be heavy TV streamers who are difficult to reach with traditional TV advertising.
Compared to weekly podcast listeners, heavy podcast listeners are +47% more likely to be heavy video streamers. On average, heavy podcast listeners spend 12.4 hours with TV streaming services, +22% more time than the weekly podcast listener.
Companion podcasts not only help promote a television series or movie but also deepen the storytelling opportunities within the fictional realm. Whether it's behind-the-scenes interviews with the cast or a series of vignettes set in the same world as the show, a companion podcast strategy is helping to expand the content universe for a growing number of television and movie producers.