Bertelsmann starts new content alliance in UK

13 July 2020 - Press release

BMG teams up with Bertelsmann UK content businesses, launches joint podcast business

 
BMG has joined forces with Bertelsmann UK content businesses – Fremantle, Penguin Random House UK, and DK – to offer podcasts as a new service for its artists.

The launch of the new podcast business named Storyglass is the first major output of the recently established Bertelsmann Content Alliance UK which will create new formats and unique marketing opportunities, establishing an innovative and powerful partner for creative professionals. Bertelsmann invests more than 5 billion euros a year in creative content worldwide.

Alistair Norbury, President, Marketing & Repertoire, BMG UK said: “At BMG we put the artist and their brand at the centre of our business. We are always looking for new ways to foster their creativity, and the Content Alliance opens up a unique infrastructure to do so. The launch of Storyglass offers a significant extension of our services to artists.”

Storyglass will operate as a standalone Bertelsmann company and focus on developing and producing podcasts of all genres, complementing the output of each of the businesses across TV, media, books and music in a UK Audio Alliance. With access to talent across multiple genres, world-class production and editorial knowledge, Storyglass’ slate will benefit from the expertise of the fourmarket-leading companies.

Baroness Gail Rebuck, Chair of the Bertelsmann Content Alliance UK, commented: “Creativity defines each of these businesses and I am excited to see what this collaboration can produce. Audio has always proved a really powerful tool to connect audiences with great stories, and we are confident that this alliance and the new-look Storyglass will mean we are set up to deliver world-class series.”

BMG, Fremantle, and Penguin Random House have already had joint success in the podcasting space, with This Is Spoke – a youth culture series which brings together some of the UK’s most courageous influencers across the music, literature, media, digital and cultural industries. This is Spoke won the 2020 Campaign Publishing Awards ‘Best Podcast’ accolade and is shortlisted at the 2020 British Podcast Awards in the Bullseye Award category. It also was a 2020 Webby Honoree in the Diversity and Inclusion category.

The UK Alliance follows similar initiatives that have launched across the Bertelsmann Group in Germany. A German Bertelsmann Content Alliance which exists between Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland, RTL Radio Deutschland, the TV production company UFA, Verlagsgruppe Random House, Gruner + Jahr, and the music company BMG, was launched in February 2019 creating many new and diverse projects.

Julia Jäkel, Chair of the Bertelsmann Content Alliance in Germany added: “We are very pleased about the launch of ‘Storyglass’ as part of the Bertelsmann UK Content Alliance. The success of the German Content Alliance shows the potential of creative collaborations: Within just one year, Audio Now has become Germany’s largest commercial podcast distribution platform and the Audio Alliance the largest private podcast producer with 80 new podcast series with a total of 400 episodes. In addition, the Bertelsmann Content Alliance in Germany launched a number of joint projects which have gained power and momentum through the cross-divisional collaboration. We look forward to many exciting projects in UK and Germany!”