Nadia: Turns out, everyone wants a piece of PodcastOne. And I mean everyone.
Russ: From Feed Drop, I'm Russ.
Nadia: And I'm Nadia. It's Saturday, October 31st, 2026. Happy Halloween!
Russ: On the show today: deals, prizes, and a look at who's really winning in the podcast world.
Nadia: Podnews reports that PodcastOne has multiple buyers circling.
Russ: And Japan is launching a new anime award... but is it for the creators, or just industry ego?
Nadia: Plus, a surprise winner at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards tells us something important about the future of global content.
Nadia: Alright, let's get into this PodcastOne news. The company confirmed it's entertaining 'multiple' acquisition offers.
Russ: Entertaining offers? It feels like they've had a 'For Sale' sign on the lawn for a year. Who is actually kicking the tires here?
Nadia: That's the million-dollar question. Podnews doesn't name names, but you have to imagine it's other audio companies or private equity.
Russ: Private equity. [shudders] That's where podcasts go to get stripped for parts. Is there even anything left to strip?
Nadia: Well, there's the brand name, the back catalog, and some infrastructure. Yes, they've struggled financially and faced delisting from the Nasdaq... but the brand still has some recognition.
Russ: Does it? Who are their big, can't-miss shows in 2026? I'm drawing a blank.
Nadia: And that's the challenge for any buyer. They're not buying a hot property; they're buying a fixer-upper with, maybe, good bones.
Russ: So what does this mean for a listener? If some private equity ghouls buy PodcastOne, is my one favorite old show from their catalog going to suddenly get a new host who's an AI robot?
Nadia: [laughs] Probably not a robot host. But it could go one of two ways: a new owner injects cash and revives the network... or they slash costs, kill niche shows, and cram the rest with more ads.
Russ: So, a coin flip between 'better' and 'unlistenable'. Got it.
Nadia: Exactly. It's a big gamble for whoever writes the check.
Russ: Okay, let's talk anime. Variety reports that Japan is launching a new international anime award, starting in 2027.
Nadia: This feels very familiar. It's the same impulse that led to the Ambies or the Signal Awards. An industry trying to create its own Oscars.
Russ: The stated goal is to 'put creators in the spotlight.' Do we buy that? Or is this just about building a fancy new stage for executives to give each other trophies?
Nadia: I think there could be real substance. The anime industry is a behemoth, but we know individual creators are often overworked and underpaid. A prestigious global award could give them some actual leverage.
Russ: Leverage for what? A better salary? Or just a heavier trophy that they can't fit in their tiny Tokyo apartment?
Nadia: [laughs] Maybe both? But here's the podcast angle: think of all the anime recap and analysis shows. This gives that whole ecosystem a new annual event to rally around.
Russ: So it's good for the podcasts about anime, even if it does nothing for the actual anime creators. That feels... cynical.
Nadia: It's not an either/or! Shining a brighter, more prestigious light on the work helps everyone. It validates the art form, which attracts more investment, which—in a perfect world—trickles down to the creators.
Russ: That's a lot of 'perfect world' assumptions. For the listener, it just means one more awards show to ignore?
Nadia: Or, one more way to discover your next favorite show when its creator gets a big, splashy moment in the spotlight. Discovery is everything.
Nadia: Okay, last up: Variety is reporting on the Asia Pacific Screen Awards, where the big winner for Best Film was 'Guria', from the country of Georgia.
Russ: Georgia, the country. Okay. And the podcast connection is... what, exactly?
Nadia: [laughs] The connection is the playbook. 'Guria' isn't just a Georgian film; it's a co-production with Switzerland, Luxembourg, Turkey, Bulgaria... It shows how global talent and money can come together to make something great.
Russ: So it was made by a committee. That doesn't always scream 'great art'.
Nadia: Not a committee, a global team. And that's exactly what's happening in high-end podcasting. You get UK production companies, US funding, an Australian format, and a Canadian host. The borders are basically gone.
Russ: Okay, the parallel makes sense. But is the movie any good?
Nadia: Apparently, it's fantastic. And it wasn't just the top prize—Best Director went to a filmmaker from Thailand. It's proof that great creative work isn't just coming out of Hollywood.
Russ: So for the listener, this means my next favorite narrative series could just as easily come from Tbilisi as it could from Los Angeles.
Nadia: Exactly. The best story can come from anywhere, and the teams making them are more international than ever. That's a huge win for anyone who loves great audio.
Nadia: Alright, let's do a quick recap.
Russ: PodcastOne is for sale, again, and this time buyers are actually showing up.
Nadia: Japan is launching a major new award for anime, hoping to elevate its creators.
Russ: And a Georgian film winning a major award in Australia is a reminder that the best stuff is coming from all over the globe.
Nadia: Before we go, Russ, it's Halloween. What is the single scariest thing in podcasting today?
Russ: Oh, easy. A 45-minute episode with six un-skippable, dynamically-inserted mid-roll ad breaks about products I'll never buy.
Nadia: [laughs] A true jump scare. For me, it's a brilliant, beautiful, perfectly made indie show launching into the void and never finding an audience. That's a real ghost story.
Nadia: That's our show for today. We'll be back tomorrow with more.
Russ: Until then, try to avoid those mid-roll jump scares. This has been Feed Drop.
Nadia: What we're actually listening to: I just finished 'The Evaporated: Gone With The Gods.' It's an investigative series about people in Japan who intentionally vanish. Absolutely brilliant.
This show is made with AI: the hosts’ voices are synthetic and the scripts are AI-assisted. Every story links to its original source.