If you’ve got a secret but you need to tell someone, anyone, give Kate Murphy a call.
As National Commercial Strategy Director at Nova Entertainment, she’s spent the past year keeping one of the company’s most significant partnerships under wraps: an exclusive deal with FlightStory, the UK-based company behind The Diary Of A CEO.
Now, it’s official, and Nova holds the rights to sell advertising around one of the world’s most influential podcasts in the Australian market.
“Absolutely pumped,” Murphy says of the win. But this wasn’t luck. It was a carefully considered pitch process that began on the other side of the world.
How a podcast show meeting turned into a global partnership
The conversation began at a podcast show in London, where Nova’s Chief Growth Officer Adam Johnson first met with the FlightStory team.
“About a year and a half later, we received an email from Christiana Brenton, their Chief Revenue Officer,” Murphy recalls. “She asked if we wanted to participate in the RFP process. We were absolutely pumped.”
FlightStory, led by entrepreneur and author Steven Bartlett, has become a serious force in global media. The Diary Of A CEO (or DOAC), its flagship show, features long-form interviews with major names across politics, entertainment and business, including Michelle Obama, Jay Shetty, and Trevor Noah.
The podcast records 60 million listens per month globally, has more than 11 million YouTube subscribers, and over 25 million followers across social platforms.
Australia is now the fourth-largest market for the show’s subscriber base. And FlightStory saw enough potential in the local audience to justify finding a commercial partner here, its first beyond the UK.
Stephen Bartlett from Diary Of A CEO
A pitch built on evidence, not assumptions
Murphy says Nova took a “show, don’t tell” approach to the tender process.
“We knew Bartlett and his team weren’t a ‘go with your gut’ kind of operation,” she says. “They rigorously test everything, so we had to show our thinking, not just talk about it.”
That meant pulling together a full sample partnership pitch for a hypothetical brand, showcasing what a FlightStory x Nova campaign might actually look like in-market. Arjun Kantaria, a senior strategist, pitched that solution live in person to the FlightStory team, while Nova introduced them to the people who would represent their shows across Australia.
“It was a real whole-of-business response,” Murphy adds. “Creative, marketing, sales, integration, everyone was on board. And FlightStory showed up in the same way. There was chemistry from the beginning.”
Beyond The Diary Of A CEO: A full FlightStory slate
While DOAC is the headline act, Nova’s exclusive rights extend to FlightStory’s wider podcast network. This includes talent like broadcaster Davina McCall, relationship expert Paul C. Brunson, and human performance scientist Dr. Kristen Holmes.
These creators weren’t chosen by chance. FlightStory uses its in-house analytics platform, FlightRadar, to identify high-potential hosts and content based on audience behaviour and cultural relevance.
“This isn’t just about a podcast,” Murphy explains. “It’s a collaboration with a global market leader. We’re applying those learnings here to benefit our business and our clients.”
Nova Entertainment’s Kate Murphy
What it means for Nova’s audio ambitions
Nova has been steadily building out its podcasting strategy over the past few years. The addition of FlightStory, and the commercial rights to one of the most influential podcasts in the world, marks a major step forward.
“There’s no doubt Bartlett is one of the most influential voices of this generation,” Murphy says. “The podcast is only the start. He’s built this really wide circle of influence around himself, and audio is at the centre of it.”
Murphy adds that FlightStory content fits neatly into Nova’s existing creator ecosystem across broadcast, digital and social.
“It complements what we already do: unlock significant advertising and partnership opportunities for Australian brands. And FlightStory content hits that profile perfectly.”
On the ranker… and beyond it
Murphy acknowledges that The Diary of a CEO’s scale will help boost Nova’s podcast ranker performance, but says the real value lies elsewhere.
“In Australia alone, they’ve got 2.5 million unique monthly consumers across audio, video and social,” she says. “Of course, those metrics matter, they increase visibility. But what doesn’t show up on a ranker is the level of influence this show has. Or the way Stephen connects with his audience. That’s where the real value lies.”
What’s next for FlightStory in Australia
FlightStory has made clear it wants meaningful, purposeful growth in international markets, and Australia is a key part of that plan.
“They’ve got the vision, the leadership, the people, and importantly, the influence to realise that ambition,” Murphy says. “And they recognised that we share those values. We’re both independent operators. We both understand that long-term success means shared success.”
In an increasingly competitive podcast market, FlightStory’s decision to choose Nova as its Australian partner signals confidence not just in Nova’s reach, but in its approach. For Murphy, it’s a milestone. But it’s also a foundation.
“It’s a privilege,” she says. “But now the work really starts.”