Elevate Entertainment, a Hollywood talent and literary management firm, has launched a new podcast division named Highwire, according to reports from Deadline.
As part of the project, Elevate is also planning to release four new unscripted podcasts centred around A-list celebrities from the sports, business, film and television worlds sharing never-before told stories. The podcasts are created in-house as part of studio facilities that Elevate built in its offices to support the expansion, and will be released in both audio and video.
“We are very excited to create this new division within the Elevate Entertainment family,” said Elevate president Alex Cole. “It’s certainly no secret that podcasts, both scripted and unscripted, have become great outlets for talent to reach their fan base.”
“The podcast industry is generating a considerable amount of revenue while also being a forum for topics that matter.”
Cole added that Highwire also has plans to produce a set of scripted podcasts for next year, in addition to its “very diverse” slate of unscripted podcasts that are scheduled to release this year. According to Deadline, the contract terms are still being finalised and further details on the initial slate will be announced at a future date.
Elevate represents a number of A-list clients including academy award nominee and Yellowstone co-creator Taylor Sheridan, film and television actress Jacki Weaver, actor and former professional football player Vinnie Jones, actress Gratiela Brancusi, actor Sebastian Roché, and many more.
As part of the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strikes, many Hollywood performers are barred from working on or promoting struck work. They are, however, still allowed to host or guest-star on podcasts covered by the SAG-AFTRA Podcast Agreement which includes podcasts that are independent and podcasts that are micro-monetised (less than $10,000 in budget and/or earnings for one season).
