Bloomberg reported on Thursday, April 21, that Barack and Michelle Obama's production firm, Higher Ground Productions, will not be signing a new podcast deal with Spotify.
According to a source close to the matter, as per the report of CNN, Spotify did not strike a deal to distribute Higher Ground's content.
The Verge mentioned that Higher Ground appears to want to be able to produce numerous programs and release them on multiple platforms at the same time, which goes against Spotify's usual exclusives-based strategy.
It was said that Higher Ground is in talks with "many" companies for a new deal, including Amazon's Audible and iHeartMedia.
When Did Obama's Production Company Sign a Spotify Deal?
In 2019, the Obamas inked a contract with Spotify to enter the entertainment industry after leaving the White House.
On June 6, 2019, Spotify announced its partnership with Higher Ground to produce podcasts exclusive to the platform. The Obamas will develop, produce, and contribute their voices to select podcasts as part of the Higher Ground collaboration, connecting them to Spotify listeners all across the world on a variety of themes. Higher Ground Audio, an expansion of the Higher Ground production firm that will spearhead the move into podcasts, has signed a multi-year deal.
"When President and Mrs. Obama launched Higher Ground in 2018 with an initial partnership with Netflix, their goal was to create compelling content that entertains and inspires viewers. Recognizing that content is consumed in many forms, this new partnership will give them the ability to expand the conversation, educating and engaging Spotify's diverse and extensive audience," the news release read.
The agreement with Spotify is expected to expire at the end of the year, when Higher Ground's last series is set to be released, a source told CNN.
Higher Ground Has Also Produced Some Netflix Shows
According to Next TV, a five-episode docuseries narrated and executive produced by President Barack Obama titled 'Our Great National Parks' premiered on Netflix April 13.
The limited series is concerned with environmental preservation. Each episode spans five continents and explores the tale of a national park through the eyes of the creatures who call it home. Netflix said that Obama ventures into the bright red soil of Kenya's Tsavo National Park, the waters of Monterey Bay, California, the majestic terrain of Chilean Patagonia, the lush rainforests of Indonesia's Gunung Leuser National Park, and more.
This series is a collaboration between Wild Space, Higher Ground Productions, and Freeborne Media.
On the other hand, The Hollywood Reporter also reported that Higher Ground will also be part of Netflix's adaptation of author Rumaan Alam's 'Leave the World Behind', which would feature Julia Roberts and Mahershala Ali.
The story follows a husband and wife as they travel to a secluded section of Long Island with their teenage son and daughter for a vacation.
The couple is unsure what to believe when the rental's owners return in a hurry one night, claiming a sudden outage has blanketed the city. With no TV, Internet, or mobile service, the two families are forced to live in a difficult scenario.
Themes of race, class, and parenting are all addressed.
Higher Ground's Tonia Davis will executive produce the show, with Alam and Esmail Corp's Nick Krishnamurthy.
