Irish broadcaster RTÉ licenses Stolen Sister to Puskhin Industries

RTÉ Programme Sales has announced its first deal with a US distribution partner for its 7-part podcast series, Stolen Sister. This is the first ever RTÉ podcast to be licenced for distribution outside of Ireland/into the North American market.

Pushkin Industries is a US based publisher of podcasts and audiobooks and more recently has become one of the most respected ‘prestige’ podcast houses in the industry. The company has acquired the series (plus bonus ep) from RTÉ’s Documentary On One strand. Stolen Sister tells the story of the murder of Elizabeth Plunkett, the first documented Irish victim of a serial killer.

Co-founded in 2018 by Malcolm Gladwell (The Tipping Point) and prominent political journalist Jacob Weisberg, Pushkin Industries is home to chart topping shows such as Revisionist History, The Happiness Lab, Cautionary Tales, Against the Rules and Heavyweight with Jonathan Goldstein which was chosen as a top podcast of 2025 by the New York Times. Stolen Sister is being offered to Pushkin listeners through their Bad Women series, a high-production true crime and history podcast that reframes famous criminal cases by focusing on the lives of the victims rather than the mythology of the killers.

Written by Nicoline Greer, the multi-award-winning radio documentary maker, and accompanied by a soundtrack from Oscar winning composer Stephen Warbeck, Stolen Sister takes us back to 1976. It was the last weekend of that famously hot summer when a young woman went away for a night with friends to a coastal retreat and never returned home. Since production began on the podcast, new information has emerged leading to a renewed investigation and the possibility of a cold case review, providing a platform for the family to seek justice.

Hugh Ormond, Head of Podcasts in RTÉ said “This deal marks a new chapter for podcasting in RTÉ. Pushkin has chosen Stolen Sister for their growing audiences which shows the strength and appeal of both Elizabeth Plunkett’s story and of the production itself. It’s a rare privilege for a European podcast to find a home in North America so we’re eager to see how U.S. audiences respond to the series and look forward to exploring future opportunities with Pushkin.”

Commenting on the deal, Gretta Cohn, CEO of Pushkin Industries said “The Bad Women audience shows up for stories about women whose lives and deaths were overlooked, and Stolen Sister is an extraordinarily powerful example of that. We’re proud to bring RTÉ's work to Pushkin listeners, and we know the Bad Women audience will connect with Elizabeth Plunkett’s story, and her family’s search for justice.”

Edel Edwards from RTÉ Programme Sales said “all Documentary on One podcast series have to date attracted TV and film interest, mostly from outside of Ireland. Some have already delivered on TV and we’ve signed option and shopping agreements across several other series, some of which are currently in development for the big and small screen. But this audio distribution deal marks something new and different for us. We know North America is the largest podcast market in the world and we’re very excited to see how our content will now land with US audiences, especially given Pushkin are an industry leader in the field”.