PodcastOne (PODC) Acquires Exclusive Rights to The Opportunist Including IP for TV/ Film

  - Acquisition Includes 71 Episodes Downloaded 18 Million Times Across 8 Seasons

 - YTD PODC Added 16 New Shows, 1571 Episodes and 2100 Hours of Content

 - Current PODC Network Slate Soars to 179 Shows, with Over 3.5 Billion Historic Downloads and Approximately 250,000 Episodes Across Its Total Library

LOS ANGELES, CA, Oct. 26, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via - (NASDAQ: PODC), a leading podcast platform and a subsidiary of (), announced today that it acquired the exclusive sales and distribution rights, as well as certain ownership and IP/derivative rights, to a top true crime podcast, The Opportunist. The Opportunist has been lauded as “Best Of” by media outlets such as Vulture, Mashable, Paste Magazine and Digiday since its 2021 debut.

The Opportunist is an investigative podcast that focuses on the true stories of regular people who turn sinister by embracing opportunity. How does an everyday person turn into a thief, a scam artist or a cult leader? Perhaps the most dangerous person is the one who appears the most normal? Perhaps there is a dark potential lurking inside all of us, just waiting for the right opportunity to emerge. With 71 episodes across 8 seasons released to date, The Opportunist, was one of the top 20 most downloaded new podcasts according to Podtrac in 2021.

“The Opportunist is an incredible complement to our existing slate of award-winning true crime podcast programming. There is no more fitting time than now to debut the show on our network. We look forward to growing the show’s existing audience,” said Kit Gray, President and Co-Founder of PodcastOne.

PodcastOne’s full roster of top ranked podcasts includes programming across top genres such as news, comedy, true crime and society and culture and including shows such as True Crime All The Time Unsolved, The Prosecutors, Court Junkie, Cold Case Files, I Survived, I’ve Had It, Baby Mamas No Drama, The Adam Carolla Show, and The Schaub Show. PodcastOne shows are available through , Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart, Amazon and wherever podcasts are heard.

About PodcastOne

(Nasdaq: PODC) is a Los Angeles based podcast network founded in 2012 by Kit Gray and Norm Pattiz providing creators and advertisers with a full 360-degree solution in sales, marketing, public relations, production, and distribution delivering over 2.1 billion downloads per year with a community of 250 of the top podcasters, including Adam Carolla, Kaitlyn Bristowe, Jordan Harbinger, LadyGang, I’ve Had It, and A&E's Cold Case Files. PodcastOne has built a distribution network reaching over 1 billion listeners a month across all of its own properties, LiveOne (Nasdaq: ), Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Samsung and over 150 shows exclusively available in Tesla vehicles. PodcastOne is also the parent company of , an innovative self-serve platform developed to launch, host, distribute and monetize independent user-generated podcasts. For more information, visit and follow us on , , and Twitter at .

About LiveOne, Inc.

Headquartered in Los Angeles, CA, LiveOne (Nasdaq: ) is an award-winning, creator-first, music, entertainment, and technology platform focused on delivering premium experiences and content worldwide through memberships and live and virtual events. The Company's wholly-owned subsidiaries include Slacker Radio, PodcastOne (Nasdaq: ), PPVOne, Gramophone Media, Palm Beach Records, CPS, LiveXLive, Drumify and Splitmind. LiveOne is available on iOS, Android, Roku, Apple TV, Spotify, Samsung, Amazon Fire, Android TV, and through STIRR’s OTT applications. For more information, visit and follow us on , , , and Twitter at .

Forward-Looking Statements

All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this press release are “forward-looking statements,” which may often, but not always, be identified by the use of such words as “may,” “might,” “will,” “will likely result,” “would,” “should,” “estimate,” “plan,” “project,” “forecast,” “intend,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “seek,” “continue,” “target” or the negative of such terms or other similar expressions. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements, including: LiveOne’s reliance on one key customer for a substantial percentage of its revenue; LiveOne’s and PodcastOne’s ability to consummate any proposed financing, acquisition, spin-out, special dividend, merger, distribution or transaction, including LiveOne’s pay-per-view business and the proposed merger of Slacker with Roth CH Acquisition V Co. (the “Proposed Business Combination”), the timing of the consummation of any such proposed event, including the risks that a condition to the consummation of any such event would not be satisfied within the expected timeframe or at all, or that the consummation of any proposed financing, acquisition, spin-out, merger, special dividend, distribution or transaction will not occur or whether any such event will enhance shareholder value; Slacker’s ability to list on a national exchange; PodcastOne’s ability to continue as a going concern; PodcastOne’s ability to attract, maintain and increase the number of its users and paid members; PodcastOne identifying, acquiring, securing and developing content; LiveOne’s intent to repurchase shares of its and PodcastOne’s common stock from time to time under LiveOne’s announced stock repurchase program and the timing, price, and quantity of repurchases, if any, under the program; PodcastOne’s ability to maintain compliance with certain financial and other covenants; PodcastOne successfully implementing its growth strategy, including relating to its technology platforms and applications; management’s relationships with industry stakeholders; the effects of the global Covid-19 pandemic; uncertain and unfavorable outcomes in legal proceedings; changes in economic conditions; competition; risks and uncertainties applicable to the businesses of PodcastOne’s subsidiaries; and other risks, uncertainties and factors including, but not limited to, those described in PodcastOne’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2023, filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on June 29, 2023, Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter year ended June 30, 2023, filed with the SEC on August 15, 2023, and in PodcastOne’s other filings and submissions with the SEC. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof, and PodcastOne disclaims any obligation to update these statements, except as may be required by law. PodcastOne intends that all forward-looking statements be subject to the safe-harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.

No Offer or Solicitation

This communication does not constitute a proxy statement or solicitation of a proxy, consent, vote or authorization with respect to any securities or in respect of the Proposed Business Combination and shall not constitute an offer to sell or exchange, or a solicitation of an offer to buy or exchange any securities, nor shall there be any sale, issuance or transfer of any such securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of such state or jurisdiction. No offer of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or an exemption therefrom.

Press Contacts:

For PodcastOne

310.246.4600