Comedian Chris Gethard, after more than seven years and almost 400 episodes of his “Beautiful Stories From Anonymous People,” has taken the podcast independent.
Previously, Gethard’s weekly podcast — also known as “Beautiful/Anonymous” — had been produced with and distributed by SiriusXM’s Earwolf comedy podcast network ever since he launched it in 2016. The deal with Earwolf was up for renewal, and Gethard opted to sign an exclusive, multiyear ad partnership with Libsyn’s AdvertiseCast marketplace for better terms, according to a rep for the comedian.
In each episode, Gethard opens the phone line to a single anonymous caller — with the rule that he can’t hang up first, no matter what. The results have ranged from shocking confessions and family secrets to philosophical discussions and shameless self-promotion. “Beautiful Stories From Anonymous People” has been featured on “This American Life” and on several best-podcasts lists (including Variety‘s 20 Best Podcasts of 2021). In May, Gethard hosted the first fan convention for the podcast at the Bell House in Brooklyn, N.Y., to a sell-out crowd, and he continues to do live tapings across the country.
Gethard said in a statement, “With pride in our 400-episode milestone and excitement for the next 400, Libsyn AdvertiseCast will be an invaluable partner as we forge new and meaningful relationships with advertisers and expand our reach to more listeners through our unfiltered, deeply personal, and powerful conversations about life, which have become the hallmark of our show.”
“Chris Gethard has cultivated a massive and devoted following for his podcast, ‘Beautiful/Anonymous,’ through his comedic and empathetic approach to heartfelt conversations and personal stories,” said Rick Selah, senior VP of content partnerships at Libsyn’s AdvertiseCast. “As their new exclusive advertising partner, we look forward to elevating the show to the next level of growth — connecting with more relevant advertisers, driving monetization, and expanding their listener base.”
Founded in 2004, Libsyn (Liberated Syndication Inc.) touts an all-in-one podcasting platform for creators to host, distribute, monetize, amplify and measure audio content. In 2022, the Pittsburgh-based company hosted more than 75,000 shows and delivered over 8 billion downloads globally. Libsyn’s AdvertiseCast marketplace lets advertisers buy and manage targeted campaigns on more than 3,000 shows.