Trevor Noah inks deal with Spotify to start a new weekly podcast
Trevor Noah has had his own television series, has been in movies, done live shows and written books.
Now, the former “Daily Show” host is getting his own podcast on Spotify.
The podcast, which will begin streaming on the app later this year, will release episodes weekly and feature conversations between Noah and “some of the most influential and interesting figures around the world,” Spotify said in a statement. Noah and the platform’s executives announced the deal on Tuesday in France at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.
Spotify is reducing its staff by 200 people, amid broader changes to the streaming giant’s podcasting division.
“We are excited to collaborate with Trevor to create an original podcast that seamlessly combines his unique humor, insightful commentary, and consummate interview skills on a global scale,” said Spotify’s podcasting lead, Julie McNamara, in the statement.
The announcement arrives just a couple of weeks after Spotify laid of 200 employees, roughly 2% of its staff. Most of the layoffs were in the podcasting division, which is undergoing restructuring. In January, the Swedish-based tech giant trimmed its staff by 6%, or roughly 600 people.
The company, which said it commands a podcast audience of more than 100 million monthly listeners, heavily invested in podcasting over the years, buying several production companies, such as Gimlet and Parcast, but the cuts have come at a time when tech companies are attempting to boost profits in an uncertain economic environment.
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“We’re launching a new podcast, and its going to be global, which means if you are in the world ... you can listen to this podcast,” Noah said in a video posted to Spotify’s TikTok account on Tuesday. “If you’re in space, I believe they have internet there too, they just got Wi-Fi, you can also listen to the podcast.”
“Add me to your playlist,” Noah said, “I don’t sing though — unless you want me to.”
During their appearance at the creative and marketing festival in Cannes, Noah and Spotify co-founder and CEO Daniel Ek said they would be “navigating different mediums” and leveraging “new technologies” to connect with audiences, according to the statement. Spotify did not, however, elaborate on what specific mediums or tech they were referring to.
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Noah’s podcast gig gets underway about six months after Noah aired his final episode on the Comedy Central late-night show “The Daily Show,” which he began hosting in 2015, replacing Jon Stewart. The satirical political talk show is still searching for a permanent replacement for Noah. Since his departure in December, the show has rotated among a range of temporary hosts — including Al Franken, Wanda Sykes, Leslie Jones, Hasan Minhaj, Sarah Silverman, Chelsea Handler, John Leguizamo, Marlon Wayans, Kal Penn and D.L. Hughley.
Noah has remained busy, booking a stand-up comedy tour and, in February, hosting the 2023 Grammys. In the lead-up to his departure, Noah went on “The Tonight Show” with Jimmy Fallon and teased that, after his longtime Comedy Central gig, he would do a bit of “everything.”
“Producing, you know? Like just working behind the camera, working on different ideas,” Noah told Fallon. “Going back home, spending more time with family in South Africa. Everything is what I’m going to be doing.”
Times staff writer Wendy Lee contributed to this report.
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