Audio Up completes $12
million fundraising effort - current round led by
SiriusXM
TORONTO, Oct. 13, 2021 /CNW/ - SiriusXM Canada, the
country's leading audio entertainment company, is pleased to
announce that Sirius XM Radio Inc., a subsidiary of SiriusXM
Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: SIRI), has entered into a new creative
programming and strategic agreement with Audio Up, an
innovative podcast and audio entertainment production studio.
Under the agreement, Audio Up is expected to create new original
scripted podcasts for SiriusXM and its owned audio platforms -
which include the SXM App and Stitcher - while also collaborating
with SiriusXM to develop new audio entertainment concepts and forge
new promotional and distribution synergies across SiriusXM
properties, furthering SiriusXM's place as a leader in podcast
hosting, production, distribution, analytics, and
monetization.
The agreement gives SiriusXM an exclusive "first-look"
co-production option for new Audio Up original podcast concepts,
with accompanying options for exclusive distribution across
SiriusXM properties, as well as exclusive rights to manage and sell
advertising inventory and sponsorship in connection with any
podcast produced for SiriusXM through its SXM Media combined sales
organization.
In addition, Audio Up announced today that it has completed a
$12 million Series B funding round
led by SiriusXM. Andrew Moss,
SiriusXM's Senior Vice President, Business Affairs and Programming
Operations, has also joined the Board of Directors of Audio Up.
Audio Up, established in 2020 by Jared
Gutstadt, creator of the Jingle Punks creative music agency
and Adweek's 2020 Podcast Innovator and Producer of the
Year, is a podcast content production studio that has built a slate
of distinctive, original scripted audio entertainment featuring
marquee names across music (Machine Gun Kelly, 24kGoldn,
Miranda Lambert, Nelly),
Hollywood (Anthony Anderson, Garrett Hedlund, Jason Alexander,
Gary Busey), publishing (James
Ellroy, Stephen King), and more.
Forthcoming new Audio Up original podcast series
include The Playboy Interview, which
presents teleplay-type re-enactments of some of the most iconic
Playboy Interview conversations in history, featuring Taye Diggs as Muhammad
Ali, Rosanna Arquette as
Betty Friedan, Gina Gershon as
Oriana Fallaci, among others.
A variety of original podcasts from Audio Up's back catalog will
also be re-presented across the SXM App and Stitcher,
including:
- Halloween in Hell : A
first-of-its-kind, 4-part scripted music/horror mini-series set in
a fictitious satanic reality show, featuring multi-platinum artists
Machine Gun Kelly and 24kGoldn. Other shows in Audio Up's hit "In
Hell" podcast franchise include Valentine's Day in
Hell and Prom in
Hell.
- The Ballad of Uncle
Drank: A dark-edged
musical comedy starring country hip-hop superstar Nelly and
Hollywood legends Gary Busey and Luke
Wilson that tells the tragi-comic story of fictional
"beach-country" singer Uncle Drank (Busey), with an original
soundtrack on Warner Records
featuring songs from Nelly, Blanco
Brown and others from the country music realm.
- Bedtime Stories of the Ingleside
Inn: A scripted audio docu-drama
starring Lance Bass (who also
produces, alongside Oscar-winner Michael
Sugar), and Jason Alexander
as Mel Haber, the legendary 70s-era
Palm Springs hotelier who brought
glitz and glamour to the desert, attracting a slew of iconic
regular guests including Frank
Sinatra, Liz Taylor, and
Howard Hughes.
- Sonic
Leap : The completely
made-up backstory of real-life rock act "Hero the Band" – four
Atlanta-based fraternal brothers
who get sent back to 1985 to "change their future and the future of
music." Actor Anthony Anderson makes
his podcast acting debut in this nostalgic scripted musical series.
Rap star Trippie Redd co-stars and contributes music. The series
unlocks the debut album from the Atlanta-based band, to be released on Audio Up
Records.
- Make It Up as We
Go: The first-ever
scripted country podcast musical, which tells the story of an
ambitious young female singer (portrayed by series co-creator
Scarlett Burke, who also contributes
original music) who heads to Nashville's male-dominated country hit factory
to make her fame. Executive-produced by Miranda Lambert, who plays herself in the
series. SiriusXM will re-distribute Season 1 and premiere the
forthcoming 2nd season featuring Garrett Hedlund and award-winning Nashville songwriter Liz Rose.
"Podcasts have only scratched the surface of their potential as
a powerful driver for discovery, and an entertainment medium with
virtually no creative boundaries," said Audio Up CEO and
Founder, Jared
Gutstadt. "With the vast reach and wide diversity
of listeners that SiriusXM and Stitcher together represent, we not
only have a massive new multi-platform outlet for our original
programming, but in SiriusXM we have a creative ally who shares our
ambitions to keep pushing podcasting forward."
Audio Up is expected to be an additional creative driver for
SiriusXM in connecting artists, labels, brands, and creators of all
types in developing new audio entertainment programming across
SiriusXM channels, and exploring new possibilities for original
scripted, podcasts and branded audio content opportunities for
advertisers.
"Whether it's inventing a new breed of boundary-breaking
original podcasts or developing innovative audio concepts that let
brands and creators connect with listeners in new ways, Jared and
Audio Up have become the place where talent meets technology,"
said Scott Greenstein,
President and Chief Creative Officer of SiriusXM. "Audio Up is
known for creating podcasts that combine music, entertainment, and
rich storytelling to create bold new listening experiences, and
we're thrilled to welcome them to our extended SiriusXM
family."
The agreement follows SiriusXM's acquisition of leading podcast
platform Stitcher and its execution of several
high-profile exclusive podcast content deals, including the
acquisition of Roman Mars' 99%
Invisible podcast and the launch of
Seth Rogen's original podcast
series, Storytime With Seth Rogen.
About SiriusXM Canada
Sirius XM Canada Inc., operating as SiriusXM Canada, is the
country's leading audio entertainment company. SiriusXM creates and
offers ad-free music; premier sports talk and live events; comedy;
news; podcasts; and exclusive talk and entertainment. SiriusXM is
available in vehicles from every major car company and on
smartphones and other connected devices as well as online
at siriusxm.ca.
Join SiriusXM Canada on Facebook
at facebook.com/siriusxmcanada, on Twitter
at @siriusxmcanada, on Instagram
at @siriusxmcanada and on YouTube
at youtube.com/siriusxmcanada.
SiriusXM radios and accessories are available from retailers
nationwide and online at SiriusXM. In addition, SiriusXM Music for
Business provides ad-free music to a variety of businesses.
SiriusXM is also a leading provider of connected vehicles services,
giving customers access to a suite of safety, security, and
convenience services including automatic crash notification, stolen
vehicle recovery assistance, enhanced roadside assistance and
turn-by-turn navigation.
SiriusXM Canada has been designated one of Canada's Best Managed Companies 12 years in a
row and is currently a Platinum Club Member.
SOURCE Sirius XM Canada Inc.