Exile Content Studio, the Latin-focused audio content creator now part of Candle Media, has acquired a majority stake in the Lil’ Heroes NFT franchise. Created by Spanish artist Edgar Plans, Lil’ Heroes was launched through a successful NFT collaboration with Exile and NFT studio Curatible. By acquiring Curatible’s interest, Exile now has majority ownership in the Lil’ Heroes franchise as it enters its next phase of growth and expansion. However, the company stopped short of saying whether it will include the use of intellectual property to create podcast content. But an animated TV series is in the works with NBA star Carmelo Anthony and his company Creative7 Productions, with Anthony set to voice one of the characters and also serve as an executive producer.
“We’re excited to expand Exile’s partnership with Lil’ Heroes, a dynamic new franchise with a deeply engaged community, and a great example of how digitally native IP can engage audiences across platforms, products and experiences,” said Candle Co-CEOs Kevin Mayer and Tom Staggs in the announcement.
The Lil’ Heroes NFT collection first launched in January 2022, generating over $60 million in trade volume and reaching over 80,000 members on Discord. Later this summer, Exile and Plans will release a Lil’ Heroes spin-off NFT collection called Lil’ Villains. And Daniel Eilemberg, has been named CEO of the Lil’ Heroes franchise.
“I’m excited to take Lil’ Heroes to the next level with Exile and Candle Media,” said Plans. “We will continue to work together with our incredible Lil’ Heroes community as we grow and take the franchise beyond the Web3 ecosystem.”
If Exile chooses to translate some of its NFTs into podcasts, it will gain access to a new pipeline that so far few other companies are tapping into. Earlier this year, iHeartMedia announced that it had acquired a portfolio of NFTs that it planned to develop into podcasts.
Branded Non-Fun Squad, the first phase will be the launch of the Non-Fun Podcast Network, a podcast hub centered around the content, characters and worlds of Non-Fun Squad voiced by top comedians and celebrities. The podcast game plan is to unify NFT characters across products and give them their own stories, narratives and personalities that will drive their interactions, creating a truly unique experience in the NFT, media and audio space.
Exile Content buying out Curatible’s stake in NFTs comes on the heels of Exile itself being acquired by Candle Media. Exile also recently acquired Dixo, a Spanish-language podcast network and production company, and said it expects to produce between 25 and 40 podcasts during 2022. Recent Exile projects include the true crime podcast Sacred Scandal in partnership with iHeartMedia.
Founded in 2019 by Isaac Lee – who previously served as Chief Content Officer for Univision and Televisa – Exile has grown into a studio that produces not only podcasts, but also feature films, as well as scripted and unscripted TV series. The company is headquartered in Los Angeles, with offices in Mexico City, Madrid and Miami. Lee and Exile’s senior management will continue to oversee Exile’s day-to-day operations.
