Acast North American revenues surge 34% as video podcasts expand

The convergence of video and audio is no longer a niche project but a core driver of B2B revenue growth. Acast’s ability to significantly lift ARPLV while audience volume remains nearly flat suggests that cross-platform 'omnichannel' buying is effectively extracting higher premiums from existing reach. This shift is being codified by the IAB Tech Lab’s updated measurement standards, which transition metrics from 'listeners' to 'consumers' to account for video. For the broader ecosystem, this validates a move toward transcript-level, contextual programmatic buying that treats podcasts as multi-sensory digital media rather than isolated audio files. Watch for technical parity in video reporting across YouTube and Apple Podcasts to become the next competitive benchmark.

The podcasting industry is undergoing a structural transition toward automated, video-inclusive workflows to capture a larger share of programmatic budgets. Per Comscore and Inside Radio in July 2026, a new integration of Proximic technology with Acast, Spotify, and SiriusXM now enables transcript-level ad targeting. This allows advertisers to buy inventory based on the specific words spoken within an episode rather than relying on broad show genres, a move intended to address longstanding brand safety and suitability concerns in audio. Analysts at Madison & Wall project that digital audio will capture $1.2 billion in programmatic spend this year, as automation in the sector is expected to rise from 22% in 2025 to nearly 46% by 2030.

Simultaneously, the industry’s technical foundation is evolving to accommodate the video surge. The IAB Tech Lab released Podcast Technical Measurement Guidelines v2.3 in July 2026, introducing the term 'podcast consumer' to encompass both audio and video viewers. This update specifically addresses measurement for video podcasts distributed through open RSS feeds and server-side logs. Per IAB Tech Lab, this version establishes a baseline for a more comprehensive v3.0 standard arriving in 2027, which will focus exclusively on streaming video podcast growth. These standards aim to reduce measurement inconsistencies that have historically slowed programmatic deal-making between publishers and agencies.

On the platform side, the competitive landscape is shifting as creators reclaim distribution control. In July 2026, Acast signed comedian Drew Afualo’s 'The Comment Section,' effectively ending Spotify’s video exclusivity for the show. This reflects a broader trend of 'de-platforming' video content to reach audiences on YouTube and Apple Podcasts simultaneously. Per Edison Research’s Infinite Dial 2026, YouTube has emerged as a dominant podcast platform, with roughly 25% of U.S. consumption now occurring on the video site. This shift is forcing legacy audio networks to rebrand; for instance, The Roost recently rebranded as Podium to signal a focus on multi-platform creator partnerships spanning social media and live events.