Pandora announced Monday that it will be the exclusive partner for the second season of the podcast Serial.
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“For people already listening to “Serial” and ‘This American Life, ‘ nothing will change”.
Advertising for “Serial” on Pandora, will be much of the same for people familiar with season one, a Pandora spokeswoman said. Pandora is described as being the “exclusive” streaming partner, but in actuality the podcast will continue to be available via the same means as before, including iTunes and the show’s direct feed.
Correction: Contrary to Pandora’s official statement, Serial will still be available on iTunes and the show’s official site. Glass notes that only 17 percent of Americans listen to podcasts, presumably from this study, which is about 32 million smaller than Pandora’s base of 78 million monthly listeners. When season two does arrive, episodes will air every Thursday at 6 a.m. ET.
“We also have our fingers crossed that Sarah Koenig’s voice sounds enough like Justin Bieber’s that Pandora’s [recommendation system] pushes the show to hordes of millennials”, Glass joked in a statement. “Pandora reaches million of people who never listen to public radio or download podcasts”.
CEO of Pandora Brian McAndrews said: “Serial and Pandora are a ideal fit”. However, the episodes will play all the way through without interruptions, according to Pandora. “We are always looking to delight our listeners with engaging and cutting-edge programming, while Serial is looking to reach the largest audience possible. This gives Pandora listeners yet another reason to tune in”.
This will be the first time Pandora offers a podcast on its service.
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The first season ofSerial, which debuted in October of 2014, became an instant hit, with many crediting it for re-popularizing podcasts.
