Danish podcast production company Podster has entered a licensing agreement with BBC Studios to adapt original podcast Killing Victoria into new languages.
The seven-episode historical miniseries Killing Victoria launched in March 2023 on BBC Sounds and other global podcast platforms. The series was commissioned and produced by BBC Studios, a commercial global production and distribution arm of the BBC.
As part of the partnership between BBC Studios and Podster, the production company will work on adapting the series into new languages in order to expand its audience and bring more revenue, focusing on territories like the Nordics, the Netherlands, Germany and Spain.
“We’re incredibly proud of Killing Victoria as a title and it is fantastic to be working with Podster to bring this title to more listeners around the world,” said Killing Victoria executive producer Georgia Mosely.
“To be the first to enter this title arrangement with BBC Studios makes me feel humble and happy,” said Podster CEO and co-founder Henriette Høj Gharib.
“BBC Studios is known for high content quality, and this is a great opportunity for both parties to reach new audiences.”
Other titles that Podster has worked on include true crime podcasts such as Interrogation Room and Nordic Criminal Cases, kids podcasts like Sleep Stories and Snip Snap Snout, folklore podcasts like Slavic Demons and Dark Urban Legends, and fiction podcasts like Revenge.
Similarly to Podster, podcast and audiobook platform Podimo also works on adapting podcasts into new languages as it did with true-crime podcast Murder in the North. The true-crime series originated in Denmark where it topped the charts and was later translated into eight languages including English, consistently going to the top of the UK Apple Podcasts true-crime charts.
Podimo global content and partnerships lead Jake Chudnow previously told PodPod that not every podcast genre can be adapted into new languages and accepted in other markets, especially ones that are more personality-based than scripted/factual like true-crime and history.
“We've seen our greatest success in true crime,” said Chudnow “Partially because we've been successful in true crime, we continue translating true crime. I'd like to expand beyond that. And we have expanded a bit into the knowledge space, we have a show called – the English translation would be close to – 'Understand in 10 Minutes'. It's a 10-minute show, each episode is a different topic. And yeah, that's translated, with relative success, across a number of our markets.
“I think other genres where there would be that potential would be history, for example. I think once you're edging into territory where personality becomes a really important part of the message, like comedy, that's where we haven't tried translating as much.”
