In another sign that the film and TV industry’s appetite for podcasting is growing in Europe as well as the U.S., German movie distributor SquareOne Entertainment is getting into the podcast game with the launch of digital business SquareOne Unlimited.
The company has hired former EMI Music Germany and ProSiebenSat executive Erik Julicher to run the division.
SquareOne CEO Al Munteanu told us, “Over the last six months we’ve restructured our business into three pillars: entertainment/distribution, production, and SquareOne Unlimited, which is our digital business largely in the space of podcasts. The idea is to increase ownership of IP and be as much a creator as a distributor.”
Munteanu, who himself started out in radio, said the end goal is to generate audio content which can be adapted for the screen.
“Podcasts can be monetized via barter advertising, or another route can be selling the podcasts to the likes of Audible or Spotify with a view to turning them into audiovisual content. In the U.S. this is already big business, but it is becoming big business in Europe. At this juncture it is a nurturing ground for the future.”
The company currently has a slate of ten German-language podcasts it is working on. Munteanu is hosting one called ‘Failure Is An Option’ about entrepreneurship. The news of the digital division was conveyed to German media late last month.
SquareOne launched SquareOne Productions last year. Currently in prep is the German adaptation of Israeli series Your Honor for ARD and ORF, and, in collaboration with Indiana in Italy, the series L’Ora for Mediaset. The firm is also a co-producer on Euro thriller series Oxen.
The Book Club and Molly’s Game distributor acquires around 15 movies per year. Among 2020 releases will be Berlin Film Festival title Pinocchio starring Roberto Benigni, Queen Of Hearts and Teen Spirit.
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