“The Armchair Expert,” the podcast co-hosted by actor Dax Shepard and podcaster Monica Padman, is heading to Spotify in a multiyear exclusive deal, the streaming giant announced on Wednesday. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Spotify said it also includes a first-look deal with Armchair Umbrella Network.
Shepard’s podcast launched in 2018 and quickly became one of the most popular celebrity-hosted shows around, routinely ranking in the top 30 on Apple’s podcast charts. (It’s currently the 16th most popular podcast on Apple.) The show features an eclectic mix of guests, with recent interviewees including Bill Gates, Seth Rogen, Andrew Yang and Amy Poehler. Actress Kristen Bell, Shepard’s wife, is also a frequent guest.
“The Armchair Expert” will stream exclusively on Spotify starting on July 1. The podcast will remain free for listeners, but similar to Joe Rogan’s show and other exclusive Spotify shows, listeners will have to download the streaming service’s app to hear “Armchair Expert.” All existing episodes of the podcast will head to Spotify on July 1 as well.
In a statement accompanying Spotify’s announcement, Shepard gave a shout-out to his co-host as well as producer Rob Holysz.
“Moving to Spotify is a huge opportunity for us. I am especially grateful for the work Monica and Rob have done to get us to this point,” Shepard said. “We are all bathing in the excitement of knowing we will get to do what we love most for the coming years.”
Shepard will retain creative control and editorial oversight of all Armchair shows under the deal. For more details on Spotify’s big bet on podcasts, click here.
Leave a Reply