Acast, the Stockholm-based global podcast company, has partnered with Otonal Inc., Japan’s leading digital audio advertising agency. This partnership marks Acast’s official entry into the Japanese market and expands its global footprint in the podcast industry.

Key aspects of the partnership include:

1. Access to premium content: Japanese brands can now advertise on globally-acclaimed podcasts from media outlets such as the BBC, Financial Times, and The Guardian.
2. Cross-market opportunities: The deal facilitates Japanese companies’ access to influential U.S. and European podcast audiences.

Megan Davies, Managing Director, International at Acast, states, “Officially entering the Japanese market is extremely significant. We’re responding directly to local and international demand and connecting, in particular, the major markets of Japan and the U.S., which shows how extensive our marketplace’s abilities are.”

Taisuke Yagi, CEO of Otonal, notes, “Podcast ads are starting to gain traction, including in Japan. Japanese companies show great interest in using podcasts domestically and overseas to expand their global footprint.”

According to Acast’s announcement, the deal follows the company’s recent expansions into Spain and Singapore and a reseller partnership with Next Broadcast Media in the Middle East. Its marketplace spans nearly 125,000 podcasts, 2,700 advertisers, and approximately 400 million monthly listens.

Acast, founded in 2014 and listed on the Nasdaq First North Premier Growth Market, specializes in monetizing podcast listens across various platforms. Japanese Otonal has experience planning over 2,000 audio advertisements and improving placement for more than 650 local advertisers.