Spotify inks big-name podcast deals to outflank rivals SiriusXM and Amazon

Spotify has continued its streak of impressive podcasting deals, confirming two exclusive partnerships to distribute new podcasts from Kim Kardashian West and Warner Bros. last week.

The big picture: Its efforts come as rivals continue to try to bolster their own podcast businesses, including SiriusXM, which acquired Spotify's music rival Pandora in 2018.

• SiriusXM said last week that it acquired the popular podcasting platform, Simplecast, a podcast management platform that helps podcasters publish, manage, and measure their content. 
• In announcing the deal, SiriusXM said that the new company, paired with its adtech subsidiary AdsWizz, "creates an end-to-end solution that enables creators to publish and generate revenue from their podcasts, all in one place."

Why it matters: The big question for the podcast industry is which company will be able to successfully build an end-to-end podcast network that will push the industry to grow its advertising potential faster, similar to what Google and Facebook did for digital publishing.

• The podcast ad business is expected to bring in less than $1 billion in revenue this year.
• So far, Spotify's ambitious efforts to acquire podcast companies and shell out big bucks for exclusive podcast rights seem to be leading the way.
• But SiriusXM, Amazon and — to an extent — Apple, have shown signs that they're interested in getting in on the podcast long-game.