Acast acquires Backyard Ventures

• Podcast marketplace Acast has acquired Backyard Ventures, a US-based podcast network, for US $20mn. Backyard Ventures is home to podcasts like Piers Morgan’s Uncensored, Ryan Holiday’s The Daily Stoic, and audiences of more than 230 million. The team from Backyard Ventures will stay with the business; the brand will be retired as the company is integrated into Acast. Backyard shows are currently hosted and monetised by ART19 and Megaphone.

• The Podcast Consultant has acquired B2B podcasting service Rise25. Rise25 co-founder Dr Jeremy Weisz becomes The Podcast Consultant’s Director of Client Success. No terms were given.

• Spotify has announced its first EQUAL Ambassador for podcasts, Morgan Absher, to help amplify and celebrate women podcast creators. Podnews covered the story last week; our sister publication Podcast Business Journal has a full interview.

• The Ringer’s gambling and sports podcast Wise Guys is to stream on Twitch, says the Like & Subscribe newsletter.

• Podcast growth technology company Audiencelift has ranked on the Inc 5000, which ranks companies according to percentage revenue growth from 2022 through 2025. It’s the third company to reach the Inc list built by cofounders, Robert Tuchman and Brett Sklar.

• The winners of the Women Who Podcast Magazine awards were anounced. The Hairy Chin podcast won four awards, including Best in Show.

• The Podcast Standards Project has published a list of hosting platforms and apps supporting HLS video in RSS. Using the “alternateEnclosure”, there is growing support for the open standard.

• The WordPress plugin for Buzzsprout has been refreshed. “Now you can add an episode with a slash command, choose the player size, and embed your latest episode, a specific episode, or a playlist right inside the editor. And for the first time, Buzzsprout embeds work on WordPress.com, too.”

Tips and tricks - with Podcast Movement NYC

• Backyard Ventures, which Acast acquired today, spoke at Podcast Movement last year on earning revenue beyond ad reads - a 360-degree monetisation strategy “that scales”.
• Queensland’s East Coast Studio posts How to Make Money From Your Podcast Through Listener Support
• Before you grow your show, remember to be a listener, suggests Ausha. (It’s surprising how many podcasters don’t listen to other podcasts, too.)

Podcast News - with Airwave

With Airwave: In Data Over Dogma, bible scholar Dr. Dan McClellan and atheist podcaster Dan Beecher team up to discover what the Bible actually says, and what it doesn’t say - even if everyone thinks it does.

Created by Hemlock Creek Productions, Audio Fiction FM is a show for those looking to discover new audio fiction, whether you’ve been enjoying audio only shows for years or are looking to start listening for the first time. Host Marisa Ewing-Moody, audio drama editor and creator of “Liars & Leeches,” will share news from the audio fiction world, the first episode of a piece of audio fiction, and an interview with that show’s creators. The premiere is tonight, on YouTube, at 8pm Central.

Legally Friends is a family and pop-culture podcast hosted by two in-laws who are actually friends (and that’s not often the case). Expect sibling rivalries, vacation chaos, and Judge & Jury verdicts on the drama you can’t say at dinner.

The current US administration are attacking equity in education; but The Politics of Possibility carries a message of hope, and strategies for educators and policymakers supporting students in these times. The four episodes, released today, bring together education equity leaders to process the current landscape, build collective strategies, and equip communities with tools for educational justice.

In BuildWriting this week, award-winning poet and essayist Sarah Marie Wells explores how ordinary moments become powerful writing. You’ll hear why paying attention matters, how she chooses between poetry and essays, and why writers should “write recklessly” before they “edit ruthlessly.” A thoughtful conversation about wonder, attention, and everyday stories.