ART19 Launches Content and Direct Sales Division

Oakland CA, USA—ART19 announces the formation of a new division, ART19 Media, and launches comedy co-op Misfit Toys with shows from Jimmy Pardo, Doug Benson, Jen Kirkman, Mike Schmidt and Todd Glass. Expanding on the company’s industry-leading hosting services and their recently launched targeted advertising marketplace, ART19 Media will focus on podcast production, show-specific advertising deals, and voiced reads.

The launch of ART19 Media marks another expansion for ART19. Following its rollout of a targeted advertising marketplace last year, which offers brands the ability to reach podcast audiences on a listener-by-listener basis, ART19 Media will offer direct sales of show-specific and voiced advertising. By leveraging ART19 technology, the new division will offer publishers the full spectrum of ad demand in the podcasting space, as well as audio production services.

Misfit Toys, the company’s new comedy co-op, is being curated by comedian Jimmy Pardo and his longtime co-host and collaborator Matt Belknap. The catalogue at launch includes hit podcasts such as Pardo’s own Never Not Funny, Doug Benson’s Wide World of Dougs and Doug Loves Movies, No Fun from Jen Kirkman, Mike Schmidt’s The 40 Year Old Boy, and The Todd Glass Show. All shows will be exclusively sold by ART19 Media.

Pardo is a seasoned comedy veteran and regular on late night television including The Tonight Show, Conan, The Late Late Show and his own Comedy Central special. Entertainment Weekly called Never Not Funny “one of the sharpest and gut-bustingest shows on the internet,” and it’s been named a top comedy podcast by The AV Club, Esquire, GQ, and USA Today. The show has over a thousand episodes and an all-star roster of guests like Conan O’Brien, Jon Hamm, Nikki Glaser, Zach Galifianakis, and Sarah Silverman.

“I’m thrilled to be partnering with ART19,” said Pardo. “When they asked me to curate a comedy podcast co-op, I immediately said yes, and then immediately asked what ‘curate’ means.”

Stand-up comedian Doug Benson is known for his podcasts Doug Loves Movies and Wide World of Dougs, his documentary film Super High Me, his time as a contestant on Last Comic Standing, and his television show on Comedy Central, The Benson Interruption. On Doug Loves Movies, Doug talks movies with Hollywood stars and comedians like Chris Evans, John Lithgow, Joe Rogan, Patton Oswalt, Amy Poehler, Aziz Ansari, Michael Cera, Kumail Nanjiani and many more.

Jen Kirkman is a comedian known for her Netflix comedy specials I’m Gonna Die Alone (And I feel Fine) and Just Keep Livin’?, as well as the best-selling author of two books, I Can Barely Take Care of Myself and I Know What I’m Doing & Other Lies I Tell Myself. Her podcast No Fun is a stream of consciousness monologue that weaves random small observations with stories from her life to what’s happening in the world. The AV Club explains, “What actually makes it funny is Kirkman’s inherent knack for cultivating conflict even talking into a microphone in a room by herself. Kirman is eternally embattled but she tempers her cynicism with sweetness and, more often than not, she’s right.”

Mike Schmidt is a veteran comedian and TV writer whose raw personal storytelling style has captured the hearts and minds of an intensely loyal fanbase. After serving as the “third chair” on Never Not Funny in its first year, Mike launched his own solo podcast, The 40 Year Old Boy, which has garnered a cult following around the world. An “explosion of id,” the show takes the form of an improvised monologue, as Mike tells stories from his past and chronicles his journey through life in hilarious, excruciating detail, which may explain why it’s been called “the funniest answering message you’ll ever receive.”

Known for his unconventional and inventive material, Todd Glass is a comedian like no other. In addition to appearing on such shows as The Daily Show, Tosh.0, Jimmy Kimmel Live, Conan and The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Todd has three one hour specials currently streaming on Netflix. Full of endlessly entertaining conversation with all his funny friends, The Todd Glass Show was voted #1 by the Podcaster’s Association of America.

Pardo and Belknap, a Co-Founder of ART19, are building Misfit Toys to help other comedians grow their audiences as they focus on creating their shows, leaving the logistics and business side of the equation to ART19 Media.

“ART19 Media means we can now sell host- and producer-voiced spots on a curated selection of incredible podcasts, and we’re thrilled to launch with so many amazing properties,” said Korri Kolesa, CEO of ART19 Media. “Coupling direct podcast ads with ART19’s best-in-class targeting offers publishers and advertisers the most robust options for monetization and reach.”

ART19’s ad sales team will sell host-voiced ads for the podcasts in the comedy network and include those shows in the company’s targeted marketplace as well.

About ART19 Media

ART19 Media is a full-service offering for podcast creators and advertisers. From producing to marketing to monetization, it has the tools and expertise to bring ideas to life and to make them profitable. With native host-read ads and ART19’s Targeted Marketplace, ART19 Media offers the gamut of podcast advertising products, connecting the world’s biggest brands with the right audiences.

About ART19

ART19’s leading audio platform provides cutting-edge tools for on-demand hosting, distribution, ad serving, and audience measurement. At the intersection of publishers and advertisers, the company powers hundreds of millions of podcast downloads every month for the industry’s largest shows. ART19 enables publishers to manage all content and ad operations in one place, offering best-in-class targeting capabilities, seamless integration with listening platforms and a flexible infrastructure to continuously enhance revenue opportunities for its clients. ART19 equips advertisers with services to reach audiences through smart targeting and custom ad creative capabilities.