Spotify, Hollywood producer Chernin to adapt podcast shows for films, TV

(Reuters) – Spotify Technology SA has signed a deal with Hollywood production house Chernin Entertainment to adapt the music streaming firm’s podcast shows for films and television and sell them to other outlets, the companies said on Thursday.

The deal would unite Spotify, which has more than 1.5 million podcast titles, with media mogul Rupert Murdoch’s former right-hand man and Chernin Entertainment founder Peter Chernin.

Chernin has produced hit films like “Ford v Ferrari”, “The Greatest Showman”, and “Hidden Figures”. On the TV front, it has made the1 Zooey Deschanel-starrer “New Girl”, and Apple Inc TV+ dramas “See” and “Truth Be Told”.

The Swedish music streaming service already has a foothold in the film and TV space with its podcast series “Homecoming” having been adapted for a web series on Amazon.com Inc’s Prime Video.

The companies said they will identify and adapt film and television shows from a library of more than 250 Spotify original series, inclusive of thousands of hours of content.

Spotify has been adding muscle to its podcast catalog this year by inking several exclusive partnerships, including those with AT&T Inc’s DC Entertainment, Joe Rogan and Kim Kardashian West.

(Reporting by Rama Venkat in Bengaluru; Editing by Ramakrishnan M.)