Earlier this month, Spotify boss Daniel Ek got the music industry talking by predicting that over 20% of listening on his service will cover non-music content in the years to come.
Ek’s forecast came off the back of Spotify acquiring both podcasting content business Gimlet Media and distribution service Anchor for a total price-tag of $343m.
Now we know another interesting area that Spotify believes it can explore beyond music: sports.
According to a new job ad spotted by MBW, the firm is planning to launch a “sports content portfolio” based around audio podcasts.
The firm is hiring for a Sports Lead, Spotify Studios role, based in either New York or Los Angeles, with the successful candidate expected to help establish “Spotify’s presence and voice in the [sports] category”.
This will be achieved, says the ad, by sourcing, developing and producing “premium audio series that engage existing and growth audiences”.
The successful applicant will “shape Spotify’s exclusive content strategy for the sports vertical with a specific focus on podcasts”, as well as building and maintaining “Spotify’s external relationships across all facets of the sports community”.
Spotify has earmarked $400m-$500m for podcast acquisitions in 2018 – most of which has been spent on Gimlet and Anchor.
The new job ad suggests that podcast acquisitions in sports will be looked at by the company. It suggests the “prospect for acquisitions, surfacing a mix of opportunities from the clear to the unexpected”.
The role requires someone with 12+ years experience in the sports field in a variety of creative capacities spanning development and production.Music Business Worldwide
