Acast appoints Tim Batt as Creator Network Development Director for New Zealand

Acast, the world’s leading independent podcast company, has today announced the appointment of Tim Batt as Content Development Director for New Zealand. As the first New Zealand-based hire for Acast’s Creator Network team, Batt will work closely with local podcasters of all sizes, helping them to find their audience, build and grow their shows, and make money from their craft.

An iconic name within podcasting in New Zealand, Batt is an independent podcaster — and already part of the Acast Creator Network — as the founder of the Little Empire Podcast Network and co-creator and host of New Zealand’s most successful comedy podcast, The Worst Idea of All Time. The show has had more than 18 million downloads since its launch in 2014.

In addition to his podcasting experience, Batt has a deep understanding of the local creator landscape, with a career spanning stand-up comedy, live show production, writing and guesting for television, and commercial broadcasting with major New Zealand networks MediaWorks and NZME. Batt is also a current board member of the New Zealand Comedy Trust.

Guy Scott-Wison, Creator Network Director, Acast Australia and New Zealand, said: “It’s no secret that the podcast industry is booming, and the market in New Zealand is no different. Local creators are doing amazing things with quality content, so we felt now was the perfect time to increase our footprint here and work even closer with the podcasters powering that growth.

“It’s so important for us to have local expertise in all our markets globally, and Tim’s understanding of independent creators makes him the perfect person to help even more creators in New Zealand to tell their story through podcasting.”

Tim Batt, Creator Network Development Director, Acast New Zealand, said: “I’ve been using Acast’s tools and services to host, distribute and monetise my podcast for several years now — so know the huge potential this company has, and how much it cares about supporting its podcasters. Aotearoa New Zealand has so many independent voices who deserve a bigger audience, and I can’t wait to work with them to build and grow great podcasts."