MrBallen Inks Exclusive Distribution and First-Look Podcast Deal With Amazon Music

variety.com:

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor True-crime podcaster John Allen — better known to fans as MrBallen — is bringing his show exclusively to Amazon Music.

Starting Nov. 1, Amazon Music will be the exclusive home to all new and existing episodes of the “MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark and Mysterious Stories.” Amazon Music also inked a first-look deal with Ballen Studios, the content company Allen recently formed, for all new content spanning film, TV, games, consumer packaged goods, audio content and more. “The Strange, Dark and Mysterious community is the only reason I have the platform that I do today,” MrBallen, who has more than 9 million follows on social media, said in a statement. “I will always be dedicated to bringing them the best, and continually raising the bar with the art of storytelling.

Working with Amazon Music allows us to do just that… We’re just getting started.” Allen, a former U.S. Navy SEAL, launched his podcast in February, focused on true crime stories while also exploring strange and mysterious occurrences.

Ballen Studios recently hired Night Inc. executive Nick Witters as CEO and signed with UTA to work across a number of projects. “John Allen has built an authentic and compelling storytelling brand that clearly resonates with MrBallen’s millions of passionate fans,” Jen Sargent, CEO of Amazon Music’s Wondery podcast studio, said in a statement. “We’re thrilled to be working with John, Nick Witters, CEO of Ballen Studios, and their team in continuing to expand the reach of their existing show and are looking forward to working with them to develop new formats, content and stories for Amazon Music’s global audiences around the world.” MrBallen’s podcast joins Amazon Music’s growing catalog of