News Corp Australia’s true crime podcast audience has grown 90 per cent year-on-year, with the number of downloads across the company’s true crime category almost doubling in 2022 compared to 2021.
These figures come as the latest true crime podcast from News Corp Australia launches tonight. The Australian’s “Shadow of Doubt” delves into one of the country’s most shocking child abuse cases which resulted in a record jail sentence of 48 years for the accused father.
In a five-year investigation, multi-award winning journalist Richard Guilliatt explores a spectacular collision of memory, therapy, trauma and conflicting ‘truths’ in this gripping new podcast. According to Triton Podcast Ranker, true crime is one of the fastest growing genres for Australian audiences.
Some of News Corp Australia’s most popular podcasts include Gary Jubelin’s “I Catch Killers” which has enjoyed a 51 per cent year-on-year increase in downloads, while “Life and Crimes” with Andrew Rule is still attracting new fans peaking at 146,000 listeners on the January 2023 Triton Podcast Ranker.
Another podcast which continues to resonate with listeners is “True Crime Australia’s Faith on Trial: Hillsong”. That hit number one on the Australian and New Zealand Apple charts and is now being promoted in the US, UK, Ireland, Canada and South Africa with nearly 20 per cent of downloads coming from global markets.
Other recent titles from True Crime Australia including “Bikies Inc”, “Mother’s Guilt”, “Predatory” and “Devil’s Apprentice” have also proven popular with audiences with combined downloads of nearly 600,000. News Corp Australia’s general manager, Commercial Networks, Ainslee Horstman said while the true crime genre has exploded in popularity in recent years, it’s the quality of the journalism, the intriguing cases and the in-depth investigations that keep audiences coming back to News Corp Australia’s offerings.
“Australian audiences have voracious appetites for true crime audio journalism from brands and voices they trust,” Horstman said. “The level of engagement we see across this genre is unmatched. Not only do we see an accelerated demand from audiences but we’re seeing this scale translate into growth for our business via consumer and client revenues.
“I am incredibly excited by what’s to come with a really ambitious slate that seeks to find new audiences and build on our early success in engaging global audiences.” Several new true crime podcasts are currently in production and will be released in coming weeks, including a special miniseries from Andrew Rule, host of Life and Crimes, which delves into the world of undercover police.
