Trading Update and AON progress report

RNS Number : 3930I

Audioboom Group PLC

26 November 2018

 

26 November 2018

Audioboom Group plc

("Audioboom" or the "Company")

Trading Update and Audioboom Originals Network progress report

'Dead Man Talking' receives nearly 1 million downloads since October launch

Audioboom (AIM: BOOM), the leading spoken word audio on-demand platform, is pleased to provide an update on current trading and progress with the Audioboom Originals Network ("AON").

Trading Update

Current trading remains in line with management expectations with full year results for the 13 months to 31 December 2018 expected to be consistent with the trading update announced on 4 October 2018.

Audioboom Originals Network

Launched in H1 2017, AON now has a slate of 12 owned and operated podcasts and co-produced shows and has grown from a standing start to more than two million downloads per month in October 2018. This has been driven by the popularity of shows including 'Covert', a military documentary; 'Mafia', a true crime history podcast; as well as the most recently launched podcast, 'Dead Man Talking'.

Dead Man Talking ("DMT")

DMT is a true crime podcast, investigating the confessions of notorious serial killer, Ángel Reséndiz (also known as The Railroad Killer). The Directors believe that the recent success of DMT can be attributed to its high production values and the way that Audioboom promoted the podcast from early October 2018 across various digital and traditional formats. This is the first time that Audioboom has allocated a dedicated marketing budget to an AON production, which has generated a record return on investment. This strategy will be repeated in 2019 on other AON productions.

DMT's marketing incorporated audio advertisements within podcasts in the Audioboom network, via TV spots in the USA, and - representing a first for Audioboom - outdoor billboards also across key markets in Texas, USA, where a significant part of the story takes place. The podcast has received outstanding reviews from The Guardian, The Atlantic, The Austin Chronicle and Vulture, with a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the podcast published in British GQ.

Sponsors of the podcast include: The Economist, Audible, Condé Nast, HelloFresh, Brooklinen, Vistaprint, Robinhood, SimpliSafe, Stamps.com and ZipRecruiter.

Slate expansion in Q1 2019

As part of the Company's strategy for expanding and sustaining AON, three more shows will be added to the slate in Q1 2019:

'The Narrow Caves'

The Narrow Caves is an audio drama in the horror genre co-produced with Fangoria, the internationally distributed horror film fan magazine. The production has been adapted by award winning novelist, screenwriter and director S. Craig Zahler (Bone Tomahawk, Wraiths of the Broken Land). It features voice acting by Vincent D'Onofrio (Full Metal Jacket, Daredevil), Will Patton (Armageddon, Falling Skies), Lili Simmons (Bone Tomahawk, Banshee) and Wyatt Russell (Everybody Wants Some, Black Mirror).

'And That's Why We Drink'

This is a humorous look at true crime, urban legends and paranormal phenomena. The show has furthered its relationship with Audioboom for 2019 and will become part of AON. To date, the podcast has accrued over 23 million listens with an average of two million listens per month. Nearly 50% of its listens occurred via Spotify, the music streaming service that expanded into podcast distribution in 2018, illustrating Audioboom's ability to disseminate AON content via global distribution channels.

'Almost Smart with Vinny'

A podcast that follows reality TV star Vinny Guadagnino (Jersey Shore) as he learns new skills and perspectives from celebrity guests. Vinny's knowledge of everything from world events to sexual subcultures will be challenged and expanded each week on this comedy podcast debut.

Rob Proctor, Chief Executive Officer of Audioboom, said: "We have been delighted by the listeners' and industry's response to the AON titles, especially Dead Man Talking, which has received almost 1 million downloads in seven weeks since its launch on 2 October. It is the fastest growing show that we've ever released. AON and co-production shows are a key focus for next year, which we anticipate will allow us to further grow gross margins, and potentially develop valuable IP, which we may be able to expand into TV and film production in conjunction with our partners into 2019 and beyond".

 

Enquiries

Audioboom Group plc
Rob Proctor, Chief Executive Officer	Tel: [phone]
Allenby Capital Limited (Nominated adviser and joint broker)	Tel: [phone]
David Hart /Alex Brearley/Asha Chotai
Novum Securities (Joint broker)	Tel: [phone]
Colin Rowbury/Jon Belliss
Walbrook PR Limited (PR & IR Advisers)	Tel: [phone]
Paul Cornelius / Sam Allen	or [e-mail]

About Audioboom

Audioboom is a global podcasting platform that consolidates the business of on-demand audio, making content accessible, wide-reaching and profitable for podcasters, advertisers and brands. Audioboom operates internationally, with operations across North America, Europe, Asia and Australia, and addresses the issue of disparate podcast services by putting all of the pieces of the puzzle together under one umbrella, creating a user-friendly, economical experience.

Audioboom hosts over 14,000 content channels, with key partners including A+E Networks (US), Associated Press (US), 'Astonishing Legends' (US), 'Casefile True Crime' (AUS), Edith Bowman (UK), 'Felon True Crime Podcast' (AUS), 'F1:Beyond The Grid' (UK), Jonathan Ross (UK), 'Moneycontrol Podcast' (India), 'No Such Thing As A Fish' (UK), Red FM (India), Starburns Audio (US), 'The Cycling Podcast' (UK), 'The Totally Football Show' (UK), 'The True Geordie Podcast' (UK) and 'Undisclosed' (US).

Original content produced by Audioboom includes 'The 45th' (US), 'Covert' (US), 'I Almost Knew That' (India), 'The Psychology Behind with Dr Linda Papadopoulos' (UK), 'Ctrl Alt Win Podcast' (India), 'Deliberations' (US), 'It's Happening with Snooki & Joey' (US), 'Mafia' (US), 'Mission To Zyxx' (US),' Night Call' (US) and 'The Russell Brand Podcast' (UK).

The platform receives over 60 million listens per month and allows partners to share their content via Apple Podcasts, BookMyShow, Deezer, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio, RadioPublic, Saavn, Spotify, Stitcher, Facebook and Twitter as well as their own websites and mobile apps.

For more information, visit audioboom.com.

 

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