Russ: Twenty million dollars... for a network of YouTube creators.
Nadia: This is Nadia.
Russ: And I'm Russ.
Nadia: And you're listening to The Feed. It's Friday, August 21st.
Russ: On the show today: a big buy, a big spend, and a big political beef in the world of audio.
Nadia: Let's start there: one of the biggest names in podcast hosting just made a major acquisition.
Russ: We're also looking at a streaming giant dropping billions in Latin America. The question is, will any of it go to podcasts?
Nadia: And we'll wrap with the latest pop star versus politician showdown over a song on social media.
Nadia: So, Acast. Podnews is reporting they've acquired a company called Backyard Ventures.
Russ: Backyard... Ventures? Never heard of them. Are they a podcast company?
Nadia: They're a creator network—mostly YouTube, but with a big audio component. And Acast reportedly paid $20 million for them.
Russ: Twenty. Million. Dollars.
Nadia: Well, that price tag starts to make a little more sense when you hear Backyard claims to reach over 230 million listeners and viewers a month.
Russ: Okay, hold on. 230 million? That sounds like one of those inflated YouTube numbers where someone accidentally scrolled past a video. Is anyone actually listening?
Nadia: That is the twenty-million-dollar question. Acast is betting they can turn that massive, younger audience into loyal podcast listeners and, more importantly, monetize them.
Nadia: And speaking of monetization, this part of the show is sponsored by Magellan AI. If you want to know where the ad dollars are really going in podcasting, they just held a live webinar on Q2 ad spend yesterday. The recording should be on their site.
Russ: So Acast thinks they can stick a bunch of ads in front of these 230 million... eyeballs? Earholes? And make their money back. I remain unconvinced.
Nadia: It's a big bet on the creator economy. For listeners, it just means some of your favorite YouTubers might start pushing their podcasts a lot harder.
Russ: And for creators, it means Acast is looking for the next big thing on YouTube, not necessarily in your podcast feed.
Nadia: Alright, let's go global. Variety is reporting that Prime Video is making a massive investment in Latin America.
Russ: Massive how? What's the number?
Nadia: It's over two billion dollars, set for 2027 through 2030. A huge play to boost viewership and engagement in the region.
Russ: Okay, but let me guess. It's all for TV shows and movies. How much of that two billion is for podcasts, Nadia? Zero? Is it zero?
Nadia: [sighs] Look, the Variety piece is all about their original series and films, yes. But you can't pour that much money into a media market without audio benefiting.
Russ: A 'halo effect' isn't a podcast deal, it's wishful thinking. So for a listener in Brazil or Mexico, this just means more shows to watch on Prime.
Nadia: For now! But this creates new IP, elevates local talent who will want to have podcasts, and signals to everyone that this is a major growth market. Audio always follows video.
Russ: So what this means for the listener is... nothing. Yet. Call me when they announce 'Prime Podcast Brazil'.
Nadia: For creators, it means if you're not thinking about Spanish and Portuguese-language content, you're missing where the next billion listeners are coming from.
Nadia: Alright, last story: pop music and politics are colliding again. According to Variety, Ariana Grande is not happy with the Trump administration.
Russ: What happened now? Let me guess, they used one of her songs in a rally or a social post?
Nadia: You guessed it. They used her hit 'We Can't Be Friends' in a social post, and she shot back immediately.
Russ: This feels like a story we get every single election cycle. An artist says 'stop using my music,' and the campaign... does what, exactly? Do they ever actually stop?
Nadia: They usually do, after getting called out publicly. She posted a screenshot with the caption 'Your truth is false' and dropped in a link to a voter registration site.
Russ: Good for her. But what's the podcast angle here, Nadia? Are politicians stealing clips from 'Crime Junkie'?
Nadia: Don't laugh, because it's a real issue! As audio gets more shareable on TikTok and Instagram, you know we're going to see this with podcast clips. A campaign could easily grab a 30-second hot take from a host who wants nothing to do with them.
Russ: So if you're a podcaster, you have to worry about your words being taken out of context and used by a campaign you hate. [sarcastic] Great.
Nadia: It just means you have to be ready for it. And for listeners, it's a good reminder to question where that viral audio clip you just heard actually came from.
Nadia: Alright, so to sum up: Acast spent a reported $20 million on Backyard Ventures to chase a younger, YouTube-native audience.
Russ: Prime Video's throwing two billion dollars at Latin America—just not at podcasts, yet. And Ariana Grande told the Trump campaign 'Thank U, Next' on using her music.
Nadia: Before we go, speaking of creators finding new audiences, I saw a wild rumor that the 'My Favorite Murder' hosts were planning a live tour of decommissioned lighthouses.
Russ: Is that... real? Because I would only go if they promise to solve a cold case at each lighthouse. Otherwise, it's just a fire hazard with good acoustics.
Nadia: [laughs] It's not real. But the fact that it could be says a lot about where the live podcasting circuit is headed. Anything for a unique venue.
Nadia: That's our show for Friday, August 21st. We'll be back on Monday with more from the business of podcasting.
Russ: In the meantime, what I'm actually listening to is a show called 'How To F#€k Up An Airport'. It's a deep dive into the Berlin Brandenburg Airport disaster. And Nadia, try not to acquire any YouTube networks this weekend.
This show is made with AI: the hosts’ voices are synthetic and the scripts are AI-assisted. Every story links to its original source.