Independent podcast network Realm has appointed Peter Levin to its board of advisors in a bid to break into gaming.
Levin currently serves as a managing director and cofounder of Griffin Gaming Partners. His experience as the former president of interactive ventures, games, and digital strategy at Lionsgate, and the cofounder and CEO of Nerdist Industries, position Levin to bridge the gap between gaming and podcasting.
Peter Levin is managing director at Griffin Gaming Partners. Realm works with leading entertainment brands, such as Warner Bros., Netflix and Marvel, to adapt their IP into podcasts. Some of their award winning adaptations include Harley Quinn & The Joker: Sound Mind and Orphan Black: The Next Chapter. In addition to working with globally recognized IP, Realm also has experience building a large audience. Realm’s originals have been translated into 12 languages and reach listeners in over 200 markets globally.
Transmedia adapations of games have been steadily on the rise. Last year, gaming film and TV adaptations set a new high point for both commercial and critical success with hits like the Super Mario Bros. Movie and The Last of Us. However, podcast adaptations have been less common. Ubisoft has produced original shows based on its Assassin’s Creed and Far Cry franchises. Realm has a head start, creating video game-inspired shows like Ctrl-Alt-Destroy.
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“I’m honored to have Peter involved with Realm. He is extraordinarily talented and has a keen understanding of what it takes to create new fan-favorite properties and experiences. He and I both feel that podcasts are going to play an increasingly critical role in expanding the touchpoints that entertainment companies have with fans,” said Molly Barton, CEO and cofounder of Realm.
Getting games IP into podcasting
Prior to Levin joining, Realm announced a multi-year partnership with IGN. Together, Realm and IGN will develop, produce, distribute, and monetize podcast titles based on major video game IP. The first show under this agreement is an adaptation of Squanch Games’ High on Life.
“I’m excited to come full circle with my podcast roots and jump into the mix with Molly and the team at Realm. Podcasting has become a ‘must-have’ within the hub and spoke model of creating lasting brand equities. As Realm continues to expand and explore gaming IP, we are ideally positioned to lean in and contribute to their efforts,” said Levin.
On top of his experience investing in gaming founders, Levin has worked on a number of gaming adaptations. These properties include Amazon Studio’s upcoming Fallout series, Lionsgate’s forthcoming Borderlands film, and Candy Crush’s television adaptation for CBS.
Levin joins several other media executives on Realm’s board. This includes Michael Smith, chief marketing officer for NPR, Russell Binder, president of IP accelerator Striker Entertainment and Marci Wiseman, award-winning producer and former co-president of Blumhouse TV. Notably, Binder and Blumhouse TV steered the Five Nights at Freddy’s film adaptation.
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