Acast launches in France

March 21st 2019: Acast, the leading global podcast company, today announces its expansion into France. The French business will be led by Yann Thébault, former managing director of Continental Europe for Spotify, who joins Acast with the mission of establishing Acast France as the go-to podcast company locally. This will include supporting independent podcasters and publishers, working with media groups and brands on their audio strategies and helping to develop the French podcast market.

The launch of Acast in France is in response to the rapidly growing popularity of podcasts in the region, as well as the demand for support for podcasters. According to Médiamétrie’s Écoute des Podcasts study (April 2018), over four million people in France listen to podcasts every month. 25% of these are new listeners to the medium.

Ross Adams, CEO of Acast said: "Launching in France is the natural next step for Acast - it’s a market where the appetite for podcasting from a creator, listener and advertising point of view is starting to explode. We have big plans - global expansion is a real focus for Acast in 2019 and beyond, as well as working with content in as many different languages as possible. Yann’s rich experience and love for audio means he is the perfect person to take us into such an important market for Acast.”

Yann Thébault, managing director of Acast France said: "France is a dynamic market that has historically been known for its high radio consumption. The podcast market is now booming and represents a real growth opportunity for Acast. With our ability to address every need of both independent podcasters and publishers - including hosting, distribution, marketing, measurement and monetisation - we are able to bring innovative and tailored solutions for podcasters, advertisers and listeners.”

Acast is the global leader in podcasting. Founded in 2014, the company pioneered the concept of dynamic insertion in podcast advertising, recognised today as an industry standard. In 2018, the company saw its overall revenue grow by 86%, and the number of podcasters in its network grew by more than 93%. Today Acast has over 170 million listens per month globally.

About Acast

Acast is the world’s largest podcast company. Since 2014, Acast has been the engine powering audio for makers all over the world. At its core, Acast connects audio makers with the financial support they need to create amazing content while also delivering the audience they want. Acast works with podcasts globally including My Dad Wrote a Porno, Off Menu, David Tennant Does A Podcast With, The Adam Buxton Podcast, Sanspants Radio, Alice & Bianca, Watch What Crappens and Varvet as well as those of publishers such as the Times, the Economist, Guardian, VICE and Vogue. As a global business, Acast has offices around the world from Stockholm to Sydney and a team of 100 talented audio lovers working diligently to create a sustainable audio and voice ecosystem to ensure that the audio industry continues to grow and flourish. Acast was founded by Karl Rosander and Mans Ulvestam together with co-founder Johan Billgren.