Magazine publisher Immediate Media has announced that its portfolio of podcasts, including hit shows like HistoryExtra, will soon be hosted and monetised through Spotify’s Megaphone as part of a newly-announced partnership.
Megaphone is a podcast advertising and publishing platform that was acquired by Spotify in November 2020 and now powers the Spotify Audience Network. As part of this partnership, Immediate Media’s entire podcast portfolio will be hosted on Megaphone starting from March 2023 which the publisher hopes will help grow its podcast revenue and reach.
“Immediate has been consistently growing our podcast output, reach and revenues over the last few years, and our partnership with Spotify will help further accelerate this growth,” said Immediate Media CEO Sean Cornwell. “The combination of our trusted brands and quality content is continually attracting new audiences and this partnership will enable us to significantly scale our proposition.”
In addition to the HistoryExtra podcast, which recently announced that it surpassed 200 million downloads, Immediate Media’s podcast portfolio consists of a wide range of series with premium brands such as The Radio Times, BBC Good Food, Olive Magazine, BBC Gardeners’ World, and Top Gear Magazine. On average, the production company amasses 5.5 million downloads per month.
“Over the past year, we’ve been focused on strengthening Megaphone’s already robust offering to ensure it remains the best place for publishers to understand and grow their audiences and monetise their content,” said Spotify head of UK publisher partnerships Chelsea Bradbury. “We are thrilled to partner with Immediate Media and we believe these tools will play a critical role in helping them accelerate their growth.”
At a launch event in Spotify’s London office which commenced this partnership, Immediate Media head of podcasts Ben Youatt told Spotify’s For The Record in a Q&A that the production company will be releasing a number of new formats and shows in 2023. There will also be an expansion opportunity for HistoryExtra that targets specific topics, and more celebrity talent joining its portfolio including 2009 Formula One world Champion, Jenson Button.
