Here’s the number that explains Acast’s latest deal: 230 million.
That’s how many monthly YouTube views flow through Backyard Ventures, the Austin-based creator network Acast has just bought for $20 million. Its podcasts, by comparison, bring in 11.5 million monthly listens.
In other words, the podcast company has bought a business whose biggest audience isn’t on podcasts at all. Its YouTube audience is roughly twenty times the size of its audio one.
That tells you what this deal is really about. Acast isn’t just buying access to more listeners. It’s buying its way into the wider business of creator advertising.
The Deal
The August 11, 2026 acquisition values Backyard Ventures at $20 million on a cash-free, debt-free basis.
Acast paid $16 million upfront, with the remaining $4 million structured as deferred consideration in shares or potentially cash, payable in two installments over the following three years.
And this wasn't a business built entirely on future potential. Backyard Ventures generated $16.1 million in revenue in 2025, with a 12% adjusted EBITDA margin and a compound annual revenue growth rate of 65% since 2023. That puts the purchase price at approximately 1.24 times its annual revenue.
What They Got
Here's where the acquisition gets particularly interesting. Backyard Ventures represents more than 200 creators, but not all of them are podcasters.
Its roster includes Ryan Holiday's The Daily Stoic, Piers Morgan's Uncensored, Cal Newport's Deep Questions, Mark Manson's Solved and YouTube creator SB Mowing. And the audiences are substantial.
According to Acast's acquisition announcement, the network generates 11.5 million monthly podcast listens, 46 million simulcast views and 230 million monthly YouTube views. Its creators also collectively reach 35.5 million newsletter subscribers.
Think about what that means for an advertiser. Instead of booking a podcast sponsorship, a brand could potentially reach audiences through YouTube, newsletters, audio and other creator channels, all through the same commercial network.
Acast also gains Backyard Ventures' experienced advertising sales team, specialist video sponsorship capabilities and an established presence in Austin.
The business becomes a wholly owned subsidiary, with its existing brand expected to be phased out as integration progresses.
Why It Matters
For years, the podcast advertising model was relatively straightforward: build an audience, attract sponsors and sell advertising around the show.
But creators have changed. A successful podcast might now sit alongside a YouTube channel, a newsletter, a paid community or a live event. Each creates another commercial opportunity. And that's where Acast sees room to grow.
Rather than spending years building relationships and sales capabilities in these categories, it has acquired a business that already operates in them.
There's also an interesting financial dimension. At approximately 1.24 times annual revenue, the deal offers a reference point for how creator representation businesses are being valued, although that figure alone doesn't tell us whether Acast has secured a bargain.
Of course, buying a network is one thing. Keeping creators, integrating advertising operations and delivering growth is another.
But the bigger question this acquisition raises is worth watching: as creators become increasingly multiplatform businesses, who gets to manage the money flowing around them?
For Acast, the answer is no longer limited to podcast advertising. The next big business in podcasting might be everything happening beyond the podcast itself.
