• by Alex Weprin , April 17, 2019

SiriusXM is planning a significant new initiative meant to bolster podcasting on Pandora, the company’s streaming audio platform.

With Pandora competitors, such as Spotify, bulking up their exclusive podcast offerings, the company is turning to its satellite radio parent company for help.

The initiative will see SiriusXM take audio content from its satellite radio channels and adapt them as podcasts.

At launch, nearly two dozen podcasts will be available, spanning genres. Chris “Mad Dog” Russo will host a podcast version of his daily sports talk show, with Adam Schein and Dave LaGreca also contributing sports podcasts.

Pastor Joel Osteen will host a podcast, as will former MTV VJ’s Sway and Mark Goodman in the music category. Shows from Kevin Hart, Jeff Foxworthy, Ricky Gervais and Larry the Cable Guy will round out the comedy genre, with Andy Cohen, Jenny McCarthy and Hoda Kotb hosting entertainment podcasts.

The move is the latest example of SiriusXM bulking up Pandora since acquiring the streaming service earlier this year, while also leveraging Pandora’s data and streaming capabilities.

The company launched its first major cross-platform initiative, Pandora Now, earlier this month.

SiriusXM’s president and Chief Content Officer Scott Greenstein stated the deal will help promote the satellite radio service, while simultaneously providing a wealth of podcast content to Pandora.