They say crime doesn’t pay, but in the case of the true-crime podcast My Favorite Murder, it definitely does — and well, we might add. Check out how much these murder moguls make from their podcast.
My Favorite Murder is just as the name implies, a favorite, of both true crime fans and experts alike. It debuted on the podcast airwaves six years ago in February, and as of December is sitting pretty at the number four spot on Triton’s Digital Ranking for most listened to podcasts of 2021. It has consistently hit the top of the charts both in ratings and fans’ hearts (and nightmares). The podcast features some of the most chilling true crime cases ever — cracked, cold, or otherwise — and the listeners just can’t seem to get enough.
So it’s no wonder when Amazon wanted a piece of the My Favorite Murder action, they didn’t hold back. According to a report by InsideRadio, in exchange for exclusive advertising, distribution, and pre-release rights, Amazon is willing to shell out over $100 million to Exactly Right Media, the producers of the show. This deal is even bigger than Amazon’s $60 million deal with SmartLess actors Jason Batemen and Sean Arnes’s podcast and is apparently even more than the $100 million Amazon pays for the Joe Rogan Experience, comedian Joe Rogan’s podcast. My Favorite Murder was named by Forbes as the #2 highest earning podcast, with the hosts earning $15 million in 2019, and 35 million monthly downloads with those numbers and downloads on the rise daily.
Not bad for two true crime aficionados living out their podcasting dreams! My Favorite Murder is the love child of the mistresses of the macabre Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Together they have woven together a thriving podcast with a huge community of flourishing followers lovingly called ‘Murderinos.’ The women also released a dual memoir appropriately titled ‘Stay Sexy and Don’t Get Murdered‘ that hit the New York Times Bestseller list, and their podcast’s live tours sell out almost instantly.
As if all of these accomplishments weren’t impressive enough, the women also founded their own podcast network, Exactly Right Media, which features podcasts such as This Podcast Will Kill You, The Murder Squad, and I Saw What You Did. All of these will also be included in the Amazon deal. It’s amazing what two women with a passion for the macabre and a flare for the frightening can do when they put their true crime-loving minds together.
Previously, Exactly Right Media’s ad sales were covered by SXM Media, and its distributor was Stitcher, but it looks like all of that will be changing with the cool exchange of…oh, about $100 million plus, which places the podcast as one with one of the highest net worth values and some of the highest paid hosts — ever. Quite the accomplishment ladies! Not only are these two breaking charts and records all over the place, but they are also apparently busting up old sayings, because, for these two, it turns out crime does pay!
