A new report suggests Spotify is close to inking an exclusivity deal with the ‘Call Her Daddy’ podcast.
Update: Since the publication of this article, Spotify has now confirmed that ‘Call Her Daddy’ will be its next podcast exclusive. More details ahead.
A new report from the Wall Street Journal says Spotify is in talks with Alexandra Cooper, host of the show. It would be yet another exclusivity deal signed by Spotify with a top-five podcast on the service. According to those familiar with the negotiations, the deal would be worth around $20 million.
“It would also involve a so-called first-look agreement with the intention of Spotify helping Ms. Cooper developer other projects,” the WSJ report reads. The Call Her Daddy podcast started in 2018 as a joint project for a young female audience. It was the fifth most popular podcast globally on Spotify in 2020, according to Edison Research.
Spotify has been eager to sign popular podcast hosts to exclusivity agreements. Joe Rogan’s deal was brokered last spring for an estimated $100 million. Spotify has also struck deals with Michelle Obama, Kim Kardashian, and Dax Shepard for exclusive podcasts on its service.
The aggressive acquisitions started back in 2019 when Spotify signed deals with Gimlet Media and the Ringer. In less than two years, Spotify’s podcast catalog has expanded from just 450,000 shows in 2019 to 2.6 million podcasts on its service in 2021. In fact, Spotify’s US podcast listenership is set to overtake Apple Podcasts sometime this year, according to analysts.
Spotify is also experimenting with a Clubhouse-like service after acquiring Locker Room in March. Spotify says it plans to expand Locker Room into an “enhanced live audio experience for a wider range of creators and fans.” Spotify says it will offer sports, music, and cultural programming.
“We’ll give professional athletes, writers, musicians, songwriters, podcasters, and other global voices opportunities to host real-time discussions, debates, AMA sessions, and more,” the press release announcing the Locker Room acquisition reads.
While Spotify’s podcasting acquisitions will help build out its spoken word portfolio – live audio is the new frontier. Spotify’s interest in becoming the king of podcasts sparked a frenzy in acquisitions in the industry. But live audio shows that are getting their start in places like Clubhouse and Twitter’s Spaces are ripe for the picking.
Spotify wants to become more than just a music streaming service. It wants to be the home of all things audio, from audiobooks, podcasts, radio shows, and live talk discussions with fans. The transformation is slow, but it is happening.