PodMov Daily: Thursday, February 6

Episode 137: Your Thursday Podthoughts

Spotify's Acquisition of The Ringer a Done Deal

Spotify’s latest mega-acquisition is a done deal, reports Ingrid Lunden for TechCrunch. The purchase of The Ringer, which has “some 30 sports and other podcasts in its mix and some 100 million downloads per month,” underscores Spotify’s escalating ambition.

“Spotify is using this acquisition not just to double down on sports content, but to make a much bigger move into how it believes not just audio but popular media overall is evolving,” Lunden writes. The transaction is expected to close during 2020’s first quarter.

Financial details are under wraps, but the company did spend between $400 million and $500 million in 2019 on podcast-related acquisitions alone. Time will tell how the deal affects access to The Ringer’s content on competing audio platforms.

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Ghost Island Media: Leading Podcasting in Taiwan

Emily Wu and Cathy Hsu, the co-founders of Ghost Island Media, are ramping up podcast creation in Taiwan. The Taipei-based startup, which produces shows in Mandarin and English, “stepped up to fill the audio content gap in Taiwan last year,” report Daphne K. Lee and Syrena Lin of The News Lens.

Despite the growing popularity podcast listening, “a lack of content volume and creativity” led the two media veterans to launch Ghost Island. “What we had in Taiwan in previous years were FM radio programs that got imported onto podcasting platforms,” Hsu said. “I just kept thinking, why doesn’t Taiwan have more podcasts?”

The three shows released so far include one of the first English-language podcasts produced in the country, Waste Not Why Not. “Taiwan hasn’t been the fastest at adopting foreign technology trends, but that gap is closing in,” said Wu. “And right now there’s a momentum for podcasting in Taiwan.”

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Keith and the Girl: A Queens Original Turns 15

Since the spring of 2005, Keith Malley and Chemda Khalili have recorded the comedy podcast Keith and The Girl (KATG) from their studio in Astoria, Queens. Tammy Scileppi of Queens News and Community spoke with the joyful co-hosts, who have “the most podcast episodes ever released.”

During countless conversations Malley and Khalili have shared “almost every detail of their personal lives — no matter how intimate or awkward — with their growing audience,” Scileppi writes. Khalili emphasizes the show’s “intoxicating” lack of inhibition: “We love being the place that people can share real stories that are told with emotion, openness and humor.”

Famous guests, including Marc Maron, Ilana Glazer, and Hannibal Buress, have shared the tradition of letting it all out. “That these established names are willing to get personal and otherwise taboo is literal music to our ears,” said Malley. A beloved NYC original of 15 years, KATG is going strong.

Titus & Tate: For the Love of Basketball

Basketball is fast-paced, unpredictable, and endlessly entertaining. Why should your go-to podcast be any different? Exclusively from Westwood One Podcast Network, the new show Titus & Tate celebrates the love of the game.

Hosts Mark Titus and Tate Frazier are tried-and-true teammates behind the mic. With a number-one-ranked-sports podcast already under their belt, they’ve reunited to bring you the best of sports and pop culture twice a week. Looking for a courtside seat? Catch Titus & Tate on video from FOX Sports.

Hailing from the diehard hoop states of Indiana and North Carolina, the former player and longtime producer know basketball inside and out. Packed with insights and unstoppable passion, this is a conversation you don’t want to miss.

Ready for tip-off? Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

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Here's what else is going on:

• Movie clip: Audiobook studio Podium Audio, formerly Podium Publishing, has has released its first audiovisual trailer to promote an audio-only release. The preview for Valkyrie, an upcoming installment in a popular sci-fi series, is a film-trailer style video.

• Jump start: Casted, the first SaaS (software as a service) marketing platform for branded podcasts, has announced $2.35 million in seed funding. The platform is used to “host, organize, distribute, and measure the performance” of branded podcast content.

• Do tell: Listeners in North Texas and beyond are sharing their most regrettable date stories with Crazy Ass Dates. On the new podcast Doug Rice and two co-hosts are “embracing the awkwardness of the human condition” by reporting “every disastrous detail.”

• PSA: Eric Stock of Illinois public radio station WGLT “explores how municipalities and other public bodies are using podcasts to communicate with constituents in new ways.” These local shows have been teaching the public while humanizing government staff.