LiSTNR and BBC sign content partnership

LiSTNR has announced its first content partnership, signing a deal with the BBC which takes effect from June 23.

The deal enables LiSTNR’s owner, Southern Cross Austereo (SCA), to select which BBC music, audio and podcast content it wants from the UK broadcaster to then distribute on its own platform.

So far, SCA has announced it has selected audio programs from renowned broadcaster and natural historian, Sir David Attenborough. In addition, LiSTNR will be the local home for Tim Harford’s audio content, the English economist, broadcaster and journalist whose long-running Financial Times column, ‘The Undercover Economist’ explores the economic ideas behind everyday experiences.

Sir David Attenborough’s audio content will be available on LiSTNR later this month 

In terms of music, LiSTNR will pick up the BBC’s Desert Island Discs and Essential Mix programs, as well as Pop Documentaries. The largest collection of live recordings in the world, In Concert, will also be available on LiSTNR.

SCA’s CEO Grant Blackley said this was the first in a series of partnerships to comes from LiSTNR, which will help position it as the destination of choice for premium and popular content.

“When we launched LiSTNR in February this year, we promised that it was only the beginning,” he said. “We couldn’t be more delighted that our first LiSTNR partnership is with international broadcaster the BBC which will bring our audiences world-class, compelling, premium content from its vast library.

“We have selected BBC content that will resonate with our listeners and attract new audiences to LiSTNR,” he added.

SCA’s general manager of digital audio, Grant Tothill, said LiSTNR offers Australian audio streamers a diverse range of premium curated and created content.

“To have the BBC as one of our partners is a reinforcement of that and a great way to complement our locally created live and on-demand content across radio, podcasts, music and news,” he said.

And the BBC, it appears, is impressed with the LiSTNR offering, with senior business development manager for North America,  Caribbean and BBC Radio at BBC World Service, Larissa Abid, adding: “BBC works with some of the biggest names in music, entertainment and journalism to create world class audio content. Our partnership with SCA will see BBC content available for the first time on LiSTNR.

“We are impressed with the LiSTNR personalised app offering and are confident that the BBC content slate will appeal to a broad audience.”