Pandora Snags Season 2 Of Serial Podcast

Serial, the hit mystery podcast that it seemed like nearly everyone was listening to last year, has partnered with streaming music service Pandora for its upcoming second season, it has been announced. Pandora is described as being the "exclusive" streaming partner, but in actuality the podcast will continue to be available via the same means as before, including iTunes and the show's direct feed.

There's still no official launch date for season two of Serial, but when it does begin, it will be available on Pandora at 6:00 AM Eastern every Thursday. The topic is said to be an investigation of the disappearance of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, a former prisoner of war.

The real benefit of this partnership is that it can help Serial reach a significantly larger audience, all without affecting existing listeners. As Ira Glass, the host of This American Life and editorial advisor on Serial, explains, "we believe lots of people who'd like our shows simply haven't heard them, or haven't started listening to podcasts." The first season of Serial had 8 million listeners, while Pandora has 78 million monthly users.

This will be the first time Pandora offers a podcast on its service. In order to kick things off, and likely get a head start on introducing the program to its listeners, the first season of Serial will be available on Pandora starting November 24th.

SOURCE Pandora