Acast Unveils Major UK Podcast Video Expansion With Little Dot Studios | New Premium Advertising Network
In a bold move set to reshape the future of digital audio and video, Acast, one of the world’s leading podcast platforms, has launched an extensive new UK-wide podcast video and premium advertising offering through a strategic partnership with Little Dot Studios, a global video production and distribution powerhouse.
This groundbreaking alliance marks one of the biggest shifts in Europe’s podcast industry, enabling creators and advertisers to access a unified ecosystem that blends premium audio content, high-quality video production, expanded YouTube capabilities, and state-of-the-art monetisation tools.
More than 20 of the UK’s most influential podcasts and creators — spanning genres such as comedy, sport, news, lifestyle, mental wellness, and relationships — have already joined the initial rollout, positioning the partnership as a major turning point in how podcasting content is distributed, consumed, and monetised.
⭐ KEY HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NEW ACAST–LITTLE DOT STUDIOS PARTNERSHIP
Major video expansion on YouTube with professional support for podcast creators
Unified advertising ecosystem across premium audio + large-scale video
Over 45 million monthly plays already connected through launch partners
Creators gain new revenue streams via dynamic video ads, premium sponsorships, and improved YouTube monetisation
Additional inventory reaches over 11 billion monthly YouTube views across Little Dot Studios’ channels
One of the largest combined premium content networks in the UK
Deep integration of analytics, giving creators and advertisers a single performance dashboard
Multi-platform campaign extensions across audio, video, social, and live events
Beta programme launches January 2026, followed by global expansion throughout late 2026
For years, podcasting has increasingly shifted toward hybrid formats combining audio and video. This trend has been driven by rising listener expectations, creator ambitions, and advertiser demand for immersive, measurable, long-form content.
By partnering with Little Dot Studios, Acast is now positioned to deliver one of the UK’s most advanced and comprehensive video podcast offerings. Creators will gain access to:
Professional YouTube infrastructure
Video editing and optimisation support
Channel management and algorithm-first publishing strategy
Advanced metadata, thumbnails, and SEO optimisation
Cross-platform distribution
Revenue-driven video strategies
This means creators can do what they do best — create — while Acast and Little Dot Studios handle content optimisation, monetisation systems, distribution pipelines, and brand safety.
The Podcasters Leading the Launch
More than twenty top UK podcasts are already part of this major rollout. The collective power of these programs is staggering, reaching over 45 million monthly plays across audio feeds and YouTube channels.
Among the participating shows are high-profile creators and award-winning hosts such as:
Fearne Cotton – Happy Place
Jake Humphrey – The High Performance Podcast
Peter Crouch – That Peter Crouch Podcast
Ed Balls – Political Currency
Giovanna Fletcher – Happy Mum, Happy Baby
And many others across lifestyle, sports, comedy, news, relationships, and wellness
This mix ensures the network appeals to a broadly diversified audience, giving advertisers unmatched targeting potential.
Why This Move Matters: A Unified, Premium Advertising Ecosystem
Acast emphasises that the expansion was designed directly around podcaster needs, addressing the creative, financial, and technical challenges podcasters face in 2025–26.
Creators will now benefit from:
1. Enhanced YouTube Monetisation
Podcast creators can now earn more through optimised:
Video integrations
Premium brand sponsorships
YouTube AdSense improvements
Dynamic ad insertion
Targeted visual ads tailored to audience segments
2. Premium Video Sponsorships
Brands can purchase:
High-value pre-roll sponsorships
In-episode video placements
Co-branded content
Branded live segments
Product-integrated podcast discussions
3. Video + Audio + Social = Complete Funnel Advertising
Acast’s new ecosystem lets advertisers deploy campaigns seamlessly across:
Audio platforms
YouTube
Social media channels
Live events
Creator-led digital activations
This creates full-funnel engagement, ideal for modern advertisers seeking measurable, multi-platform results.
Little Dot Studios’ 11 Billion-View Network Amplifies the Reach
In addition to podcast-native content, Acast gains access to Little Dot Studios’ incredible YouTube network, which attracts 11 billion monthly views across dozens of major channels.
These include popular brands and institutions such as:
Team GB
Barclays Women’s Super League
England & Wales Cricket Board
Gordon Ramsay
The Jonathan Ross Show
Many more top-tier UK media properties
This instantly gives advertisers a scaled, brand-safe, premium video environment, one of the largest available in the UK market.
Acast’s Vision: The Largest Fully Integrated Premium Podcast Marketplace
Josh Woodhouse, Managing Director for the UK & Ireland at Acast, emphasised the importance of this milestone.
“We’ve built the UK’s most technologically advanced and valuable marketplace for podcast advertising. Now, by unifying our premium audio inventory with immense video scale, Acast has created the definitive, single-point solution for brands and creators seeking measurable impact. We reach eight out of ten podcast fans weekly in the UK, and we are now the largest, fully integrated premium podcast offering in the market.”
This statement reinforces Acast’s ambition to become the central hub for Europe’s creator-led premium audio and video landscape.
Creators Welcome the Expansion
Podcasters have long called for a stronger video infrastructure within the UK ecosystem — especially as international audiences increasingly expect both audio and video versions of their favourite shows.
Media personality and bestselling author Fearne Cotton, host of Happy Place, praised the partnership:
“This is exactly the support independent creators need to grow sustainably. Partnering with Acast has always allowed me to push boundaries, and this enhanced YouTube program means we can be leaders in video as well as audio.”
Industry Impact: How This Move Will Transform Podcasting in 2026
The partnership comes at a pivotal moment for the creator economy. Podcast audiences continue to grow, but so do expectations around quality, discoverability, and visual content.
Here’s why the Acast–Little Dot Studios alliance is transformational:
⭐ 1. Podcasts Become Full Video Brands
Creators can now build full multimedia franchises rather than limiting themselves to audio.
⭐ 2. Advertisers Gain Reliable, Scalable, Premium Inventory
Brands typically hesitate with fragmented networks — this solves that.
⭐ 3. Better Tools for Independent Creators
This levels the playing field between indie podcasters and major studios.
⭐ 4. Multi-Platform Analytics
A unified dashboard means creators can finally track performance across:
Spotify
Apple Podcasts
YouTube
Social channels
⭐ 5. Greater Audience Reach
Hybrid video-audio podcasts attract younger demographics and drive community engagement.
The Beta Phase and Upcoming Global Rollout
The beta video programme launches January 2026, with select creators participating in early testing.
Acast plans:
A wider UK rollout late 2026
Expansion to other markets including
North America
Australia
The Nordics
Continental Europe
This suggests Acast is investing long-term in global video-enabled podcasting.
How Advertisers Can Participate
Brands looking to access these new premium opportunities can contact Acast via: 📧 [email protected]
Campaigns are available across:
Lifestyle
Wellness
Comedy
Sport
News & politics
Music
Women’s media
Family & parenting
Entertainment
With the ability to combine audio + video + social + events, advertisers can deliver the most complete creator-driven campaigns in the UK market.
Conclusion: A Defining Moment for UK Podcasting
The partnership between Acast and Little Dot Studios marks one of the most significant advancements in the UK digital media ecosystem.
With powerful video capability, premium advertising opportunities, multi-platform analytics, and access to massive creator networks, Acast is positioning itself as the largest fully-integrated podcast marketplace in the UK — and soon, potentially, the world.
For creators, it means greater support, visibility, and revenue.
For advertisers, it means brand-safe scale and measurable performance.
For audiences, it promises richer, more immersive, high-quality podcast experiences across both audio and video.
The future of podcasting is hybrid — and Acast just took the industry a decade forward.