Podcasting: iHeartMedia Shopping To Acquire Audioboom

The podcast industry, valued at over $2 billion globally in 2025 and projected to reach $4 billion by 2028, has seen waves of consolidation as major players like Spotify, Amazon, and SiriusXM acquire content creators and networks to capture ad revenue and listener data. 

The latest buzz centers on a potential blockbuster: iHeartMedia, the U.S.'s largest radio broadcaster and a podcast powerhouse with over 2,000 stations and 150 million monthly podcast listeners, is reportedly gearing up to bid for Audioboom Group PLC, a London-listed podcast publisher ranked as the fifth-largest in the U.S. by Edison Research. 

The move could further entrench iHeartMedia's dominance in spoken-word audio while expanding its international footprint.

Founded in 2012 and headquartered in Jersey (with operations in London and New York), Audioboom is a pure-play podcast company specializing in hosting, distribution, and monetization. It powers a network of over 250 premium shows across genres like true crime, comedy, sports, and wellness, distributed on platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and YouTube. Audioboom's ad-tech platform emphasizes dynamic ad insertion and data-driven targeting, making it attractive for buyers seeking scalable monetization tools.

iHeartMedia, which emerged from bankruptcy in 2019 and has aggressively pivoted to podcasts (generating $500+ million in annual revenue), sees Audioboom as a strategic fit to bolster its content library and global reach. Acquiring it would:

• Add 250+ high-profile shows to iHeart's portfolio, which already includes hits like Stuff You Should Know and networks such as The Black Effect (with Charlamagne tha God).
• Enhance sports and international offerings, especially F1, complementing iHeart's existing motorsport deals.
• Strengthen video and ad capabilities, tapping into the rising demand for multimedia podcasts.

The deal isn't guaranteed; Audioboom's board would seek a strong premium, and regulatory hurdles (e.g., UK AIM listing rules) could arise. On X (formerly Twitter), investors are buzzing about the "spectacular rise" potential, with speculation tying it to broader podcast M&A from players like Spotify or Amazon.