Source : the age
A wellness supplement company that advertises on Karl Stefanovic’s new podcast has backed the embattled broadcaster after he was ousted by Nine following a string of incidents culminating in a controversial interview with British extreme right activist Tommy Robinson.
Revive5, which like many sponsors of conservative podcasts sells powdered sports supplements, made clear it was undeterred by Stefanovic’s turn from light chat on breakfast television to sympathetic conversations with alt-right figures.
In the first statement from an advertiser since Stefanovic’s exit from Nine, a spokesman for the company said: “We’ve worked with Karl for a long time. He’s genuine, straight up, and not afraid to have the conversations most people won’t.”
“Not every topic or guest is going to sit comfortably with everyone — and that’s OK.
Freedom to explore different views is what makes conversations worth having, and we should always stand up for that.
“We know the bloke behind the headlines. That’s exactly why we back him.”
Revive5 sells a powdered sports drink formula based in part on powdered beetroot that claims to improve “muscle performance, fat metabolism, cardiovascular health, and calm, focused energy”.
The company has a paid partnership with the Karl Stefanovic Show, offering listeners to the broadcaster’s podcast discounts with a code based on the nickname for Stefanovic’s larrikin persona, Karlos.
“This stuff changed my life,” Stefanovic says in an advertisement on the company’s website.
Stefanovic, the former host of Nine’s Today show, departed the network last Friday days after releasing an hour-long interview with Robinson, which was quickly removed from Spotify, YouTube, Apple Podcasts and Instagram.
In it, Stefanovic praised Robinson’s “courage” and “tenacity”, and told the far-right activist, who has a long list of criminal convictions and has been curtailed from visiting Australia, that he “loved” him.
After days of crisis talks, Nine, the owner of this masthead, cut a deal to axe Stefanovic midway through a one-year contract reportedly worth around $2 million. Stefanovic responded by releasing a video saying that he was “free, truly independent” to produce his podcast.
“On my show, I have spoken to people who have different perspectives; I know that winds some people up. Sometimes I agree with everything a guest says, sometimes I don’t. But importantly, you get to make up your own mind.”
He has not commented beyond that video statement.
The Karl Stefanovic Show, which was launched in January, had featured numerous soft interviews with figures from the populist right, including One Nation leader Pauline Hanson, mining billionaire Clive Palmer and celebrity chef-turned conspiracy theorist Pete Evans.
With the new show, Stefanovic is attempting to match the success of Joe Rogan, the world’s most streamed podcaster whose long-ranging interviews offer a mix of fringe political viewpoints, comedy, pop culture and alternative wellness concepts targeted at a largely male audience.
Nathan Powell, co-founder of influencer marketing platform Fabulate, said that while some of Stefanovic’s choice of guests might seem extreme, some brands would value the audience he is attracting.
“All brands have their own definition of brand safety, everything from the clothes the creators wear to the language they use to the political leanings they have,” he said.
“So, [Stefanovic’s move to the right] is absolutely going to have an effect. But there’s going to be particular advertisers that see value in that audience, and they will go after it.”
While Stefanovic’s decades-long tenure at Nine is over, the future of a new weekly radio show with Eddie McGuire remains unclear. Stefanovic pulled out of last Friday’s episode of The Long Weekend. ARN, the radio company that airs the show, recently settled a lawsuit brought by former star presenter Kyle Sandilands.
During Friday’s episode, McGuire said that Stefanovic had asked to take leave “because of the intense negotiations and reactions” to the podcast episode with Robinson.
McGuire promised that Stefanovic would appear on the show this Friday to discuss his departure from Nine.
“Next week, he will speak to me exclusively. Exclusively on The Long Weekend about the most tumultuous few days of his career,” he said. ARN declined to comment.
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Kishor Napier-Raman is a senior business writer for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. Previously he worked as a CBD columnist and reporter in the federal parliamentary press gallery.Connect via X or email.
