Acast Expands Sports Offering via Exclusive Global Podcast Deal with The Athletic

Acast, the world’s largest independent podcast company, today announces a joint sales representation partnership with The Athletic, a New York Times company with a staff of more than 500 people covering daily sports stories and the world’s biggest sports moments. This collaboration brings together two industry leaders, offering advertisers around the world unparalleled access to premium sports audio content and a highly engaged audience of passionate fans.

The Athletic, ranked #8 on the global Podtrac charts joins Acast’s network with a portfolio of more than 35 high-quality podcasts covering every major sport, including the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, WNBA, College Football, Premier League, and F1. This partnership underscores Acast’s position as the premier destination for brands seeking to connect with sports enthusiasts through the power of podcast advertising.

“This is a real moment for Acast and for the sports podcast advertising landscape,” said Ricardo Neto, VP Sales for Acast. “Partnering with as preeminent a sports brand as The Athletic allows us to offer advertisers a premium, brand-safe environment with unparalleled reach and engagement among fans. The Athletic’s network boasts some of the most respected voices in sports journalism, and their global audience perfectly aligns with Acast’s own international footprint.”

The Athletic, which serves over five million global subscribers, reaches a highly desirable demographic, with 82% of listeners aged 18-44 in the US and 3 in 4 reporting they have purchased something they heard about in a podcast ad. This engaged audience, coupled with the network’s diverse lineup of shows - including The Athletic Football Show, The Athletic FC, NBA Daily, No Offseason, and Totally Football Show, and talent including Dianna Russini, Robert Mays, Ayo Akinwolere, Zena Keita, Meg Linehan, and James Richardson - provides advertisers with an uncapped opportunity to connect with die-hard fans.

“We are really looking forward to partnering with Acast to expand our audio advertising capabilities,” said Julian Ahye, Head of Brand Partnerships at The Athletic. “The Acast team’s expertise in podcast advertising, combined with its global reach, will allow us to deliver even greater value to our advertising partners and further enhance the listener experience. We look forward to working closely with the team to maximize the potential of our podcast network while continuing to deliver powerful audio journalism and smart analysis that bring sports fans closer to the heart of the game.”

The partnership will see Acast join forces with The Athletic’s in-house commercial team to have exclusive sales rights to audio ads, podcast sponsorships, podcast video, and branded content across The Athletic’s podcast network, offering a full-funnel sales integration.