Goalhanger Pulls Ad Sales In-House Starting January 2027

U.K. podcast powerhouse Goalhanger will bring advertising sales fully in-house from January 2027, giving agencies and brands a direct path to its shows and cross-platform inventory, Advanced Television and PodcastingToday reported Oct. 1.

Rather than treating podcast ads as a standalone buy, Goalhanger says brands will be able to build partnerships spanning audio, video, social, newsletters, live events, branded editorial, and branded content through its own commercial team. The change covers advertising representation only; shows will remain available on Spotify and other major platforms, both outlets stress.

Advanced Television cites network volume above 750 million full-episode views and streams in 2025, with 2026 tracking toward more than 1 billion. PodcastingToday adds that Goalhanger ranked No. 1 on the 2026 Sunday Times 100 of Britain’s fastest-growing private companies, with 2025 sales of £37.9 million and average annual revenue growth of 321% over three years, and topped the Media & Telecoms category in the Financial Times’ UK’s Fastest-Growing Companies 2027 ranking.

Josh Akers, Director of Commercial Operations, told Advanced Television the company has “reached the scale where having full in-house ownership of our advertising sales operation is the natural next step,” pointing to partnerships, delivery, and creative production built in-house. Charlotte Robbins, Head of Partnerships, said hosts only want brands they genuinely like, which she argued makes partnerships more authentic.

Recent brand work named by both outlets includes Fuse Energy on The Rest Is Politics, Guinness on The Rest Is Football, People’s Postcode Lottery across flagship shows, and an NBCUniversal campaign for Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey that paired actor Tom Holland with historian Tom Holland. Goalhanger also points to Netflix’s daily The Rest Is Football run during the 2026 World Cup, 26,000 tickets across 22 shows at September’s The Rest Is Fest on London’s Southbank, and the hiring of former WME executive Tom Miceli as Head of IP Development.

For readers following commercial shifts on Podcasts, verified as of Oct. 1 reports: in-house ad sales start January 2027; distribution on Spotify and other majors continues; 2025 volume and Sunday Times / FT growth claims are attributed to the company and trade coverage; October agency briefings and a planned Upfronts-style showcase are described by PodcastingToday—not a change to show ownership or host contracts.