Canadian Politics Is Boring joins the Acast Creator Network

Acast, the world’s leading independent podcast company, announces that Nova Scotia-based political satire show Canadian Politics is Boring is now part of the Acast Creator Network. Acast will host and widely distribute the podcast, expand its reach for new audiences, and use advanced advertising technology to grow its sponsorship business.

Co-hosts Jesse Harley and Rhys Waters launched Canadian Politics Is Boring as a pandemic passion project in April 2020. Since then, the series has become a chart-topping fan-favorite that covers politics for people who hate political talk. Based firmly in the comedy genre, the weekly show covers everything from bizarre historical stories to modern-day crises. Its audience includes people across the political spectrum.

“Listeners come to us because we talk about politics in a way that’s different from other places — something our super active and diverse fan base finds refreshing,” said Waters, co-host and producer. “We are pumped to have a global partner like Acast, giving us new opportunities to share a show we love making with a wider audience.”

Co-host Harley added: “I hate politics — and as it turns out, a lot of other people do, too. As we near 200 episodes, I think it’s become clear that our mix of cynicism and comedy really engages people, and gives them the feeling that they’re just hanging out in a bar with friends. Albeit, weird friends…”

Through Acast, Canadian Politics Is Boring will be widely available on all podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Google Podcasts, Overcast, Samsung Free, and more. The Acast Creator Network team, which works with many of the world’s most popular podcasts, will grow the podcast by executing insight-driven promotional strategies to reach new audiences.

Waters and Harley join Acast Canada’s rich portfolio of podcasters spanning diverse genres and audiences, including Fred VanVleet and Derek Folk of Bet On Yourself, Scott McGillivray of The Real Estate Rebel, Liv Albert of Let’s Talk About Myths, Baby!, Mitch Moffit and Greg Brown of Sidenote by AsapSCIENCE, and Jae and Trey Richards of Random Order Podcast.

“Rhys and Jesse have created such a devoted fan base by bringing people who don’t typically care about politics into the fold and giving them a way to join the discourse,” said Narisa Ladak, Creator Network Director, Canada at Acast. “Our partnership will not only maximize their show’s reach, but will also open up new opportunities for brands to align with their exceptional content and get in front of their active audience.”

Advertisers can purchase ads and sponsorships on the podcast through the Acast Marketplace, which additionally supports programmatic buying. Canadian Politics Is Boring will use Acast’s industry-leading dynamic ad insertion technology, which means each listener will hear relevant, timely ads inserted into episodes the moment they’re streamed or downloaded. Brands will be able to partner with Acast Creative, the company’s in-house creative ad solutions team, to create bespoke branded segments, Sponsored Stories, and other engaging formats.

Listen to Canadian Politics Is Boring on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

About Rhys Waters and Jesse Harley

Rhys Waters is a creative producer based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He launched his own start-up at the age of 22, a content agency that led to him making BAFTA Award-winning work for the BBC and global brands like Aston Martin. Now a grizzled father of 3, he and his wife decided to move to Canada on a whim but with a thirst for adventure. Rhys has produced, directed and edited over 60+ hours of TV, radio, and commercials. He’s been involved in podcasting since 2014 — having developed, launched and run the hit BBC show The Unexplainers — and consults new podcasts through his company Podstarter. He’s best known for his ability to lead diverse multi-platform projects and for creating innovative, quirky comedy.

Jesse Harley is a 16-time award winning filmmaker from Halifax, Nova Scotia. He’s been professionally editing everything under the sun for the past 20 years. With the rental of a shoulder-mount VHS camcorder at the age of 10, Jesse quickly fell in love with the art of filmmaking, and has doggedly pursued it ever since. Jesse has written and directed four funded short films, directed two television commercials, and has directed his first feature, Lure, which has won 4 awards, and is currently making the festival rounds. While he aims to create a film of every genre, he has a soft spot for oddball comedies, and character-driven suspense thrillers. He can do no-handed cartwheels and backflips, and loves a good ghost story.