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Persephonica, Podcast Company Behind ‘Bad Chat’ & ‘Political Currency,’ Signs Exclusive Sales Deal With Acast

Published on August 4, 2026

Persephonica, the UK podcast company behind “Bad Chat” and “Political Currency,” has signed an exclusive partnership with Acast to handle advertising sales, hosting and distribution across its existing and future catalogue.

The deal covers Persephonica’s full slate, including “Miss Me?” with Miquita Oliver and Jordan Stephens, “Dig It” with Jo Whiley and Zoe Ball, and “Political Currency” with Ed Balls and George Osborne. Acast will work alongside Persephonica’s in-house commercial team rather than replacing it, and the partnership extends beyond audio into video, supporting Persephonica’s push to build audiences across YouTube, social and emerging podcast video platforms.

As part of the agreement, Persephonica will record “Bad Chat” and “Political Currency” at Acast Studios London, while keeping its headquarters in Sheffield.

The video component lands as Acast has been building out its video ad infrastructure elsewhere in its business. In May, the company launched its first integrated video ad campaigns on Apple Podcasts, with State Farm and T-Mobile as launch partners, using Acast’s ad technology paired with Apple’s HLS technology to serve combined audio and video creative. The company has tied that push to its own research showing nearly four in five global podcast listeners now both watch and listen to their favorite shows.

Josh Woodhouse, Acast’s Managing Director for UK & Ireland, framed the deal in terms of audience trust rather than reach alone. “Persephonica don’t just make great shows, they build narrative influence,” he said in a press release. “That’s the kind of content that shapes culture, earns audience trust, and gives advertisers something no algorithm can manufacture.”

Dino Sofos, Persephonica’s founder and CEO, said the partnership lets the company keep investing in its shows without ceding creative control. “Our partnership with Acast gives us the commercial and technical support to keep investing in those shows and expand our network, while retaining the creative independence that has been central to our success from day one,” he said.