Audible Signs on as Sponsor of MASTERPIECE on PBS

BOSTON, Nov. 9, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Sponsorship Group for Public Television (SGPTV) and MASTERPIECE today announced that Audible (www.audible.com), home to the widest selection of digital audiobooks, is the newest corporate sponsor of MASTERPIECE, PBS's highest-rated ongoing primetime drama series.  The partnership reflects each organization's passion for great stories well told. 

Audible, an Amazon company, is the world's largest seller and producer of audiobooks and premium spoken-word programming, including best sellers, new releases, exclusive original content and much more.  Users can listen anytime, anywhere on their tablet, mobile or desktop with the free Audible app. MASTERPIECE is PBS's premier primetime drama series, produced by WGBH Boston.

Audible's support of MASTERPIECE comes as the extraordinary series Downton Abbey enters its sixth and final season on PBS stations in January 2016, and new episodes of Sherlock are ahead.  "MASTERPIECE is home to some of the most powerful storytelling on television today, as cultural phenomena like Downton Abbey indicates," said Taylor Huttner, Audible VP Marketing. "As missionary believers in the artful performance of well-composed words, we are thrilled to partner with this eminent source of extraordinary human drama."

MASTERPIECE delivers a signature brand of sophisticated drama that captivates a large and passionately loyal audience.  Season 5 of Downton Abbey drew an extraordinary 25.5* million viewers to PBS stations. "We are excited to welcome Audible as a new sponsor of MASTERPIECE," says Executive Producer Rebecca Eaton. "It's the perfect partnership:  we're both all about books and the power of immersive story telling."

Exposure on MASTERPIECE's exceptional digital assets is a highlight of the sponsorship. "Whether on air on PBS stations, or online in MASTERPIECE's premium digital environment, MASTERPIECE fans will discover a natural affinity for Audible," says Suzanne Zellner, Vice President of Corporate Sponsorship for SGPTV at WGBH.  "MASTERPIECE fans have demonstrated tremendous loyalty to brands that support the content they love."

Audible joins long-term sponsor Viking River Cruises in supporting the Emmy® Award-winning MASTERPIECE series.

About Audible
Audible, Inc., an Amazon.com, Inc. subsidiary (NASDAQ:AMZN), is the leading provider of premium digital spoken audio information and entertainment, offering customers a new way to enhance and enrich their lives every day. Audible's mission is to establish literate listening as a core tool for anyone seeking to be more productive, better informed, or more thoughtfully entertained. Audible content includes more than 250,000 audio programs from leading audiobook publishers, broadcasters, entertainers, magazine and newspaper publishers, and business information providers. Audible is also the preeminent provider of spoken-word audio products for Apple's iTunes Store.

About MASTERPIECE
The top-rated primetime show on PBS, MASTERPIECE is presented on PBS by WGBH Boston. Rebecca Eaton is Executive Producer. Funding for the series is provided by Viking River Cruises and Audible with additional support from public television viewers and contributors to The MASTERPIECE Trust, created to help ensure the series' future.

About the Sponsorship Group for Public Television
The Sponsorship Group for Public Television represents the best sponsorships on PBS, with national program inventory from WGBH Boston and other producers of quality public television programs, across all genres. For more information on this or other PBS sponsorship opportunities, contact the Sponsorship Group for Public Television at 800.886.9364, e-mail [email protected] or visit sgptv.org.

About WGBH
WGBH Boston is America's preeminent public broadcaster and the largest producer of PBS content for TV and the Web, including Frontline, Nova, American Experience, Masterpiece, Antiques Roadshow, and more than a dozen other prime-time, lifestyle, and children's series. WGBH also is a major supplier of programming for public radio and is a leader in educational multimedia for the classroom, creating content for PBS LearningMedia, a national broadband service for teachers and students. WGBH is a pioneer in technologies and services that make media accessible to those with hearing or visual impairments. More info at www.wgbh.org.  

Media Contacts:

Ellen Dockser, MASTERPIECE
Phone: 617-300-5338
[email protected]

Roberta Haber, SGPTV
Phone: 617-300-3880
[email protected]

Esther Bochner, Audible
Phone: 973-820-0781
[email protected]

SOURCE MASTERPIECE on PBS