Popular progressive-minded podcast Pod Save America is set to produce a series of television specials for HBO, the premium cable network announced Thursday.
The deal between HBO and Crooked Media — the company founded by former Obama White House staffers Jon Lovett, Jon Favreau, and Tommy Vietor — will bring a series of one-hour Pod Save America specials to the network leading up to the 2018 midterm elections.
Lovett, Favreu, Vietor, and Dan Pfeiffer host each episode of the political podcast, which currently draws an average audience of around 1.5 million listeners, according to the New York Times.
“At a time when politics affect the lives of Americans more than ever before, Pod Save America has brought fresh and thoughtful voices to the discussion,” HBO head of programming Casey Bloys said in a statement announcing the deal. “We’re excited to share the irreverent and entertaining insights of these savvy observers with the HBO audience.”
The popular ‘Pod Save America’ podcast has reportedly been dowloaded more than 175 million times. (Facebook)
“The best part of Pod Save America is taking the show on the road and meeting activists, candidates and people who are getting involved in politics for the first time,” Favreau, Lovett, and Vietor said in a joint statement. “They know that the 2018 midterms are the most important elections of our lifetime, and the energy and excitement on the campaign trail is infectious. We are so grateful that HBO is taking a chance on us, even though these live shows will have so few dragons and sex robots.”
Pod Save America often features the foursome discussing the news of the day, with a significant focus on Donald Trump’s presidency. Former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has appeared on the show, as have outspoken anti-Trump celebrities like Chelsea Handler.
In May, the podcast teamed up with political advocacy group Swing Left to raise more than $800,000 to oppose the Republican-led effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act.
HBO also announced on Thursday that it had ordered a new series from Lena Dunham, who created and starred in the network’s Girls.
Dunham’s new show — co-written by her Girls collaborator Jenni Konner — is a comedy series called Camping and has set Jennifer Garner to star.
Follow Daniel Nussbaum on Twitter: @dznussbaum