PodcastOne (Nasdaq
PODC) Launches Ransom, New True Crime Podcast From KSL Podcasts, Producers of COLD
Expanding Slate of Scripted Shows Made for TV/Film in Multiyear Partnership
Ransom is the 6th Podcast with Derivative IP Participation to Debut on PodcastOne in the Last 12 Months
Season One of KSL’s COLD Has a 5-Star Rating and Over 45 Million Downloads
LOS ANGELES, CA, April 10, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NewMediaWire – PodcastOne (NASDAQ: PODC), a leading podcast platform and a subsidiary of LiveOne (NASDAQ: LVO), which owns ~73% of the PODC outstanding common stock, announced today that it has acquired the exclusive sales and distribution rights to the top true crime podcast producer, KSL Podcasts new podcast, Ransom: Position of Trust which will debut May 15, 2024 wherever podcasts are heard. KSL Podcasts is the producer behind hit top true crime podcasts COLD and The Letter.
“PodcastOne is thrilled to welcome the KSL Podcasts team behind Ransom. The dedication they’ve shown in sharing this quintessential example of first-rate investigative storytelling will resonate with audiences and with advertisers. The strength of Ransom furthers our momentum and commitment in developing original IP for television and film production,” said Kit Gray, President and Co-Founder of PodcastOne.
Hosted by Edward R. Murrow Award and Emmy winning journalist Art Rascon, Ransom: Position of Trust is the true story of 12-year-old McKay Everett who disappeared from his Texas home in late summer of 1995. His parents returned from a meeting to find the back door ajar and the telephone ringing. On the line, a woman with a raspy voice demanded $500,000. Over the next week, the FBI played a game of cat-and-mouse with the kidnappers, who used inside information to stay one step ahead of the investigation. Ultimately the FBI uncovered a series of crimes starting long before McKay was abducted and revealed that McKay was kidnapped and betrayed by someone he trusted – a pillar in the community. Ransom: Position of Trust is a story of greed and betrayal and how one’s outward appearance can be dangerously deceiving.
"Ransom is a thought-provoking examination of the automatic trust we sometimes place in those in power,” said Sheryl Worsley, Vice President, KSL Podcasts. “I am incredibly proud of the Ransom team for their in-depth account of what happened to MacKay Everett. Our hope is that this podcast will not only honor MacKay's memory but also bring about positive change."
KSL Podcasts is represented by Paul Anderson of Workhouse Media, who is also an executive producer on the show.
PodcastOne’s full roster of top ranked podcasts includes programming across top genres such as news, comedy, true crime and society and culture and including shows such as The Opportunist, Vigilante, True Crime All The Time Unsolved, Varnamtown, Trust Me, The Prosecutors, Court Junkie, Cold Case Files, I Survived, Lost In Panama, Was I In a Cult, The Adam Carolla Podcast, and The Schaub Show. PodcastOne shows are available through PodcastOne, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart, Amazon and wherever podcasts are heard.
About KSL Podcasts
With over ninety-five million downloads, KSL Podcasts produces chart topping podcasts including COLD, The Letter and Hope in Darkness. KSL Podcasts is owned and operated by Bonneville International
Corporation. Bonneville International is an integrated media and marketing solutions company dedicated to building up, connecting, informing and celebrating families and communities. Founded in
1964, Bonneville currently operates radio and TV stations, local websites, podcasts and other digital distribution assets in six western U.S. markets. Headquartered in Salt Lake City, Bonneville is
a subsidiary of Deseret Management Corporation. For more information about Bonneville International, please visit www.bonneville.com.
About PodcastOne
PodcastOne (Nasdaq: PODC) is a Los Angeles based podcast network founded in 2012 by Kit Gray and Norm Pattiz providing creators and advertisers with a full
360-degree solution in sales, marketing, public relations, production, and distribution delivering over 2.1 billion downloads per year with a community of 250 of the top podcasters, including Adam
Carolla, Kaitlyn Bristowe, Jordan Harbinger, LadyGang, A&E's Cold Case Files and Varnamtown. PodcastOne has built a distribution network reaching over 1 billion listeners a month across all of
its own properties, LiveOne (Nasdaq: LVO), Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Samsung and over 150 shows exclusively available in Tesla vehicles. PodcastOne is also the parent company of
LaunchpadOne, an innovative self-serve platform developed to launch, host, distribute and monetize independent user-generated podcasts. For more
information, visit PodcastOne.com and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter at @podcastone. For more investor information, please visit ir.podcastone.com/overview/default.aspx.
About LiveOne, Inc.
Headquartered in Los Angeles, CA, LiveOne (Nasdaq: LVO) is an award-winning, creator-first, music, entertainment, and technology platform focused on delivering premium experiences and content worldwide
through memberships and live and virtual events. LiveOne's wholly-owned subsidiaries include Slacker Radio, PodcastOne (Nasdaq: PODC), PPVOne, Palm
Beach Records, CPS, LiveXLive, DayOne Music Publishing, Drumify and Splitmind. LiveOne is available on iOS, Android, Roku, Apple TV, Spotify, Samsung, Amazon Fire, Android TV, and through STIRR’s
OTT applications. For more information, visit liveone.com and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and Twitter at @liveone. For more investor information, please visit ir.liveone.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
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repurchases, if any, under the program; LiveOne’s ability to maintain compliance with certain financial and other covenants; PodcastOne successfully implementing its growth strategy, including
relating to its technology platforms and applications; management’s relationships with industry stakeholders; uncertain and unfavorable outcomes in legal proceedings; changes in economic
conditions; competition; risks and uncertainties applicable to the businesses of LiveOne and/or its other subsidiaries; and other risks, uncertainties and factors including, but not limited to,
those described in PodcastOne’s Special Financial Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2023, filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on June 29, 2023,
Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter year ended December 31, 2023, filed with the SEC on February 13, 2024, and in PodcastOne’s other filings and submissions with the SEC. These
forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof, and PodcastOne disclaims any obligation to update these statements, except as may be required by law. PodcastOne intends that all
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Press Contacts:
For PodcastOne
310.246.4600
Susan@Guttmanpr.com
For KSL Podcasts
Stephanie Avis
801.673.8071
savis@ksl.com
Investor Relations:
Jason Assad
678-570-6791
jwassad@podcastone.com