Late-night TV hosts Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers, and John Oliver are joining forces for a limited-series podcast titled “Strike Force Five.” The podcast will discuss the ongoing WGA writers strike, which is about to enter its fifth month. All proceeds from the podcast will go to the staff members of each host’s show, which have been suspended due to the strike.
The “Strike Force Five” podcast will debut on Wednesday, August 30, on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and other major podcast platforms. The limited series is expected to run for at least 12 episodes, with all five hosts participating in each episode, rotating as the conversation leader.
The idea for the podcast came about when the talk show hosts started meeting on Zoom to discuss the issues caused by the strike. Instead of focusing solely on the strike’s impact, the conversations turned into a series of hilarious and compelling discussions. Now, Colbert, Fallon, Kimmel, Meyers, and Oliver are inviting listeners to join in on their once-private chats through this all-new podcast.
In a show of support for their out-of-work staff, all proceeds received by the hosts from “Strike Force Five” will be given to the staff members of their respective shows. Some hosts had already pledged to pay their teams at least a few weeks’ worth of wages during the strike.
The podcast will be distributed by Spotify’s Megaphone, with Spotify serving as the exclusive sales partner for the series. Ryan Reynolds’ Mint Mobile and alcoholic beverage company Diageo, with brands including Aviation American Gin, Bulleit Frontier Whiskey, Casamigos, and Ketel One Vodka, have signed on as co-presenting sponsors of “Strike Force Five.”
In addition to “Strike Force Five,” Spotify has also recently signed a deal with Trevor Noah, former host of Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show,” for a weekly current-events and interview podcast set to debut later this year on multiple platforms.
Don’t miss out on the teaser trailer for “Strike Force Five” – listen now and get ready for the launch on August 30!