Fresh Produce Media and Audible Extend Multi-Year First-Look Agreement

Hit projects produced within the collaboration include music storytelling series Origins, Jon Hamm-led The Big Lie, and news series In the Room with Peter Bergen

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Fresh Produce Media, the audio-first creative company, struck a multi-year extension of its first-look deal with Audible, the leading creator and provider of premium audio storytelling. Today’s news underscores the Companies’ successful collaboration thus far with several award-winning series and a robust pipeline of content in active development and production.

Jason Ross, Founder/CEO of Fresh Produce, said “It’s hard to believe it was just March 2022 when we launched our first series. From day one, Audible and the team led by Chief Content Officer Rachel Ghiazza have been collaborators of the absolute highest-caliber, and I couldn’t be prouder of what we’ve achieved thus far. It’s an honor to continue doing such significant creative work together, and the shows we have in motion are really going to take our collaboration to new heights.”

“Fresh Produce is the rare audio production company that can do it all,” said Audible’s Chief Content Officer, Rachel Ghiazza. “From thrilling audio documentaries, to edge-of-your-seat fiction, newsy conversation shows to music-infused memoir, they’re both versatile and fearless when it comes to telling must-hear stories in audio.” 

Recent highlights include the Jon Hamm-led, noir drama The Big Lie, the music storytelling series Origins that’s featured Doja Cat, Tobe Nwigwe, King Princess and others, In the Room with Peter Bergen, a weekly podcast exploring the news from a nonpartisan and uniquely security-focused lens, and Punk in Translation, a bilingual documentary series exploring the Latin roots of punk music which featured Joan Jett, Jello Biafra, and more. All four series have been recognized for awards, with Webby, Shorty, and Signal wins, and an Ambie nomination. Last month also marked a foray into the comedy-talk sphere with the release of The Introvert’s Survival Guide, hosted by Aparna Nancherla, which featured conversations on life tips for introverts with the likes of Seth Meyers, Elyse Myers, and more.

The success of Fresh Produce’s creative output so far is a credit to the talent that they prioritize both on-mic, as well as off. Not only is their own team made up of podcast and entertainment-world veterans such as Head of Production Elena Bawiec (film work including Breaking, Midway) and EP Alison Craiglow, who joined from Freakonomics Radio, but they also focus on building out best-in-class teams for each show. 

The Hamm and Kate Mara-led The Big Lie, for example, was scored by Emmy-winning composer David Mansfield and written/EPed by John Mankiewicz. Mark Henry Phillips of Serial has signed on to direct several future Fresh Produce projects. And others signed onto future FP series currently in production include screenwriter Todd Ellis Kessler (Nashville, The Good Wife, The Unit), the writer/producer Thomas Page McBee (Umbrella Academy, Tales of the City), director Aaron Lipstadt (Bosch, Elementary Medium), and actor/EP Elliot Fletcher (Shameless, Y: The Last Man, The Sex Lives of College Girls).

Maureen Traynor, Fresh Produce Chief Operations Officer, said “We’ve established a strong creative and commercial track record together already, and we’re really looking forward to building upon that during these next few years.” Chief Content Officer Colin Moore added, “We’re particularly excited to expand into different, innovative styles of audio storytelling, and to diversify into new genres. We have ambitious plans for our work with Audible as well as all our other collaborators.”

Four Fresh Produce shows - In the Room with Peter Bergen, The Introvert’s Survival Guide, The Salvation, and the psychological thriller series I Think You’re Projecting - were named to Audible’s “Best of Year” list for 2023.

Watch this space for more to come from Fresh Produce Media.