Dragons’ Den star Steven Bartlett has joined forces with Davina McCall and a number of former US Acast executives to create the most valuable podcast media company in the world.
The host of the hit show ‘The Diary Of A CEO’ has today launched Flight Studio, a global podcast media and technology company.
The new company is working across every component of the podcast development, creation, growth and monetisation process – and is aiming to redefine the industry.
Among the first podcasters joining Flight Studio are broadcaster Davina McCall; author Paul C Brunson; neuroscientist Dr Tara Swart; international speaker Africa Brooke; and Kristen Holmes, principal scientist at WHOOP.
The Diary Of A CEO, which now has over 5.5 million YouTube subscribers, will sign exclusively to Flight Studio.
These new, video-first podcast brands will be scaled on the Flight Studio platform via proprietary data and experimentation, across the end to end podcast process: from production to audience growth, to distribution and omni-channel optimisation.
The company and platform has a unified approach on integrating leading-edge AI technology in every aspect of this process, including audio translation into multiple languages.
Alongside Bartlett, Flight Studio will be led and co-founded by Georgie Holt, Acast’s former regional managing director for the Americas, and former US head of sales and brand partnerships, Christiana Brenton.
Flight Studio will have global production studios based in London, Manchester, New York, Boston and Los Angeles and will announce more details on these outstanding new show launches and more talent joining in the coming months.
Bartlett, co-founder and chairman of Flight Studio, said: “I truly believe that we have every core component ready to redefine the global podcasting industry with this new company.
“We have done this in our own tiny way already with The Diary of a CEO, but I’m haunted by the potential that we see to scale this globally, for the people and the voices who will change the world.”
Georgie Holt, co-founder and CEO of Flight Studio: “Our ambition is to create the most valuable podcast brands and technology in the world at Flight Studio, we see that ‘value’ as being measured by the opportunity to be able scale shows that make a positive impact in people’s lives on a global scale as fast as possible. I believe we are about to collectively achieve something very special.”
Christiana Brenton, co-founder and COO of Flight Studio, said: “Audience behaviours are rapidly evolving and we uniquely understand the evolution from niche audio formats to multi-player media experiences.
“The launch of Flight Studio comes with the most compelling commercial proposition in the entire global podcast industry – from video, audio, social and live events to speaking engagements, product, publishing, IP expansion and equity partnerships via FlightFund.
“There is no other podcast company in the world that offers this media ecosystem for creators and brands. I am beyond excited to be on this journey with Steven, Georgie, our new roster of phenomenal podcasters and the most talented team I’ve had the privilege to become a part of.”
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