Acast Launches Acast Marketplace

RADIO ONLINE | Wednesday, February 26, 2020

Acast has announced the launch of Acast Marketplace, the new home of podcast buying globally. Acast Marketplace gives advertisers both direct and automated access to podcasts, creators, and listeners - across any and every podcast platform. Acast's dynamic ad insertion is now present in 13 markets worldwide while the IAB and PwC are predicting global podcast ad revenue to exceed $1 billion by 2021.

Advertiser dollars spent last year with Acast increased 90% to nearly $40 million globally, while the number of unique brands and advertisers increased 65% over the same period, to more than 1,500 worldwide.

Through Acast Marketplace, brands can access the three main pillars of podcast advertising:

• Ads: Providing meaningful reach at scale, bought direct or through Acast's automated platform. Sophisticated, contextual targeting uses dynamic insertion technology to reach the right audience, in the right way, at the right moment, as many times as required.
• Sponsorship: Show hosts delivering brand messages in their own unique, trusted voice.
• Branded content: Building an even deeper connection with listeners, through dedicated branded segments or episodes within popular existing shows, or a bespoke, standalone podcast series.

Advertisers also benefit from a brand-safe environment that meets all GDPR regulations, as well as the highest quality, most accountable insights the podcast industry has to offer. Acast is also the only podcast company certified against all four of the IAB's compliance metrics, setting the bar for the rest of the industry to follow.

"The launch of Acast Marketplace is a significant moment for us," said Joe Copeman, Global SVP of Sales at Acast. "We've invested five years in understanding and educating on how and why podcast advertising works - including what best practice looks like for brands and creators, and what listeners are most receptive to."