Spotify Taps Lifetime Veteran to Help Build Podcasting Series

Liz Gateley. Photo by AP.

Spotify has hired Lifetime’s former programming chief Liz Gateley to help expand its podcast offerings in comedy, music, sports, news and documentaries, two people familiar with the situation said.

The previously unreported hiring of Ms. Gateley follows Spotify’s acquisitions earlier this month of podcast publisher Anchor and Gimlet Media, the maker of such popular podcasts as “StartUp.” Spotify sees podcasting as a way to grow subscribers and advertising revenue. During its fourth quarter earnings call, Spotify CEO Daniel Ek said he believes that “over time more than 20% of all listening on Spotify will be non-music content” starting with podcasts. Spotify spent a reported $340 million on the two podcast firms, part of $400 million to $500 million it has earmarked on acquisitions this year.