Leading Podcast Networks Continue US Upfront Tour

DETROIT, July 17, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The industry's top podcast publishers and platforms are continuing a U.S. tour to unveil new shows, partnerships and trends of 2019. Podcast Upfront, "Podfront," launched in Los Angeles earlier this year, and will stop at the historic GEM Theater in downtown Detroit today and in San Francisco on Sept. 11.

Podfront Detroit will give advertisers, agencies and media in the Motor City an up-close look at the newest partnerships, talent and programming slated for the second half of 2019. With more than 26 percent of adults reporting having listened to a podcast in the car last year, presentations will explore podcasting's strong brand partnership potential in Detroit, the heart of the American auto industry.

The upfront tour will continue across the U.S. with a stop in San Francisco in September, with an emphasis on insights and unique opportunities specific to Bay Area industries. Presenters in San Francisco will include Authentic, ESPN, iHeartRadio, NPR, PRX, Stitcher, WNYC and Wondery. More details on the presentations and hosts will be announced in the coming months. 

Among the highlights planned for the Detroit Podfront: 

Cadence13 will preview its fall slate, presented by C13's Chief Revenue Officer Nick Freeman, including: the next breakthrough docuseries from C13Originals, home of the No.1 podcast "Root of Evil" and critically acclaimed "Gangster Capitalism;" the lineup on C13's Ramble network of influential creators; and the latest from Malcolm Gladwell and Jacob Weisberg's Pushkin Industries, including Gladwell's music podcast "Broken Record" and "The Happiness Lab," hosted by Yale professor Laurie Santos. Tenderfoot TV co-founders Donald Albright and Payne Lindsey (host of "Up and Vanished"), will join Freeman to unveil a new anthology series of bizarre, scary, untold stories from the mind of Payne Lindsey, debuting fall 2019.

ESPN's segment will be hosted by Daniel Dopp and Sarah Spain. Dopp, a Michigan native, currently hosts "Fantasy Focus Football," "Fantasy Focus Baseball" and "Ariel Helwani's MMA Show." He also co-hosts "The Fantasy with Matthew Berry" on ESPN+. Spain is the host of the "That's What She Said" podcast, part of the popular "Le Batard and Friends Network," as well as "Spain and Company" on ESPN Radio. They will review ESPN's focus on the podcast space through new talent and shows, new networks of verticals including "The LAF (Le Batard and Friends) Network" and opportunities focused on "sports passions" like NFL and NBA, as well as continued innovative and quality storytelling with "30 for 30" and "CFB 150."

iHeartRadio will discuss the latest podcast trends and programming and its unique ability to provide scale through its broadcast radio stations to introduce podcasts to the vast majority of Americans. The iHeartPodcast Network features some of today's most listened to podcasts, including "Stuff You Should Know," "The Ron Burgundy Podcast," "Disgraceland" and Chelsea Handler's "Life Will Be the Death of Me." iHeartRadio will give a sneak preview of its upcoming fall and winter lineup featuring some of the best creators in the medium – like Jake Brennan, Aaron Mahnke and Will Ferrell. 

NPR podcast hosts Sam Sanders of "It's Been a Minute"; Glen Weldon and Stephen Thompson "Pop Culture Happy Hour;" and Hanna Rosin and Alix Speigel of "Invisibilia" offer an exclusive preview of what's coming up on each of their programs this year. Gina Garrubbo, president and CEO of NPR's sponsorship subsidiary, National Public Media, will present insights into spoken word listening habits, changing consumer patterns in audio and sponsorship offerings. 

PodcastOne, home to "The Adam Carolla Show," which holds the Guinness World Record for "most downloaded podcast," reveals upcoming additions to their star-studded lineup, which includes Shaquille O'Neal, Ladygang, Steve Austin, A&E's Cold Case and hundreds more. Featuring cameos by Adam Carolla, Rich Eisen, Kaitlyn Bristowe and other hosts, network CEO, Peter Morris, will also highlight the news-making successes from 2019 thus far, including the breakthrough hit "22 Hours: An American Nightmare," the exciting projects to come and how advertisers can leverage these opportunities with innovative custom offerings.

Stitcher and its advertising arm, Midroll, will be represented by Chief Revenue Officer Sarah van Mosel and Chief Marketing Officer Amy Fitzgibbons. They will discuss the untapped potential of advertising in Detroit and why podcasts are a perfect fit for all industries within the city, ranging from automotive to high tech. Featured new shows include the breakout hit "Dead Ass" with social media influencers Khadeen and Devale Ellis, "Secret Lives of Black Women" with Charla Lauriston and Lauren Domino and the latest show from Team CoCo and Earwolf, "Three Questions with Andy Richter."

Wondery, with hit programs such as "Dirty John," "Life is Short with Justin Long," "Imagined Life," "Dr. Death" and "Business Wars." Wondery's mission is to bring a world of entertainment and knowledge to our audiences, wherever they listen. Wondery's founder and CEO, Hernan Lopez, will reveal Wondery's high-quality, emotionally immersive content slate for 2019. Wondery will demonstrate what it means to "feel the story," and share how advertisers can be part of this brand-safe and high engagement medium. 

In addition to the podcast presentations above, sponsors Authentic and Podcast Media Marketing (PMM) will also be onsite to meet with brands and share the latest opportunities in podcasting:

For 14 years, the team at Authentic has been the ad partners for top podcasts including "This American Life," "Serial," "The Motley Fool," "This Week in Tech" and others. Leading brand and direct response agencies and advertisers rely on Authentic to test and scale successful podcast ad campaigns to reach their targets with measurable results. 

Podcast Media Marketing, PMM, is the sales team for top podcasts including "The Joe Rogan Experience," "Armchair Expert" with Dax Shepard, "This American Life" and "Serial." PMM also represents other top comedy podcasts including "Your Mom's House," "Bertcast" and Andrew Santino's "Whiskey Ginger." PMM offers a unique approach to partnerships, pairing sponsors with individual shows and offering custom opportunities that extend beyond just spots. 

For more information on Podfront Detroit and schedule of presenters, visit https://podfront.swoogo.com/detroit-2019/315543.

SOURCE Stitcher