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Audioboom Acquires Adelicious To Form UK’s ‘Largest Homegrown Podcast Network’

Published on July 18, 2025

Audioboom Group Plc has entered into a binding agreement to acquire Adelicious Ltd, an award-winning British podcast network, forming what the companies call the UK’s “largest homegrown podcast network.” The combined entity will reach 40 million unique listeners with more than 125 million monthly downloads and video views.

Founded in 2020 by Pascal Hughes and David McGuire, Adelicious hosts over 200 podcasts, including “Russell Howard’s Five Brilliant Things,” “Short History Of…,” and “The Teen Commandments with Sara Cox and Clare Hamilton.”

These will join Audioboom’s roster featuring “No Such Thing As A Fish,” “Dig It with Zoe Ball and Jo Whiley,” and Formula 1’s “Beyond The Grid.”

Andrew Goldsmith, CEO of Adelicious, will become President of a consolidated UK division operating under the Adelicious brand. Goldsmith will join Audioboom’s executive team, focusing on business development and commercial operations.

“Our platform will help supercharge their growth with access to our sophisticated technology and expanded monetisation tools,” Stuart Last, Audioboom CEO, said in a press release. “We share the common goal of taking the best of British podcasting to the world.”

Focus on Monetization Amid Industry Growth

The acquisition comes as the global podcast economy reaches $7.3 billion in revenue, with the UK accounting for $338 million of that market, according to recent research by Owl & Co.

The transaction positions the combined company to capitalize on diversifying revenue streams beyond traditional advertising. While direct advertising sales remain the largest revenue source globally at $4.6 billion, programmatic advertising platforms generate $1.6 billion, and consumer revenue contributes $1.3 billion to the podcast economy.

Audioboom, ranked as the fifth largest podcast publisher in the U.S. by Edison Research, sees its podcasts downloaded 100 million times monthly by 35 million unique listeners worldwide. The company’s ad-tech and monetization platform underpins its content business providing commercial, distribution, marketing and production services.