• by Fern Siegel , September 11, 2023

Acast, a global podcast company, and Luminary, a podcast network, have partnered to expand audiences for Luminary original podcasts.

Six shows are part of the deal, including "Under the Skin with Russell Brand," "Joking Not Joking with Mo Amer and Azhar Usman" and "How I Masaba with Masaba Gupta."

Acast will also serve as Luminary’s monetization partner for these podcasts across various platforms, such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music.

Luminary, which debuted in 2019, will also leverage the Acast+ Access capability, which allows subscribers to access exclusive content on the listening app of their choice. News publishers can also integrate their paywalls with platforms, like Apple Podcasts.

Veronika Taylor, SVP Creator Network at Acast, said: "Acast has consistently advocated for an open, barrier-less podcasting environment, and this partnership underscores our dedication to making exceptional audio content easily accessible to all and monetizable everywhere.”

The partnership will complement Luminary's subscription business model, utilizing Acast's advanced distribution.

Acast launched host-read sponsorships on its self-serve podcast ad platform in late June. Advertisers can use the platform to buy sponsorships across Acast’s Marketplace, including some of the major titles in podcasting, such as "WTF with Marc Maron," "Sh**ged" and "Married, Annoyed."

Earlier this year, Acast partnered with Podchaser to develop an AI targeting product called Collections+, available to hosting providers at platforms and marketplaces. Data on podcasts and their audiences is pulled from the widest range of sources, making media buying more efficient and precise.