(Chris Parker, Headline USA) Amazon subsidiary Audible has signed a deal with Higher Grounds, Barack and Michelle Obama‘s production company, after Spotify chose not to renew their agreement.
The deal offers Audible exclusive first-look rights, reported the Los Angeles Times. The deal covers a multi-year agreement.
“We have long recognized President and Mrs. Obama’s historic capacity to captivate,” commented Don Katz, Audible’s founder and executive chairman.
While Audible will maintain the first-look podcast deal, Higher Ground will continue publishing video content on Netflix.
Spotify paid Higher Ground $25 million for their original deal in 2019. However, the two companies have since been at odds.
Representatives for Spotify declined to comment on their decision to end the partnership. Some believe that it stemmed from a conflict of interest. The Obamas wanted to expand High Ground’s reach beyond the Spotify network.
However, theirs would not be the first podcast to expand with Spotify’s blessing. And their new partnership with Audible is an exclusive one.
Others have speculated that it was because the Obamas didn’t make enough personal appearances on the streaming service. They also acknowledged that some of Higher Ground’s content will likely still be available on Spotify.
In addition to the Obamas’ podcasts, Higher Ground Productions publishes books, films, and audio content. The topics are varied and include nature documentaries, love stories, science fiction films and supernatural thrillers.
However, the company has also been accused of publishing propaganda, reported Breitbart. They co-executive produced The G Word with Adam Conover, a comedy series that attempts to misrepresent the chaotic early days of Trump’s presidency. That chaos was largely caused by sham claims, investigations and lawsuits from Democrats.
They are also producing Rustin, a film about a communist activist who received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013 from then-president Obama. That film will stream on Netflix.
