Audioboom has kicked off 2026 in style, delivering its strongest-ever first quarter, with revenue climbing 30% to $22.5m and adjusted EBITDA more than doubling.
The AIM-listed podcast group reported adjusted EBITDA of $1.4m for the three months to 31 March, up 118% on the same period last year, with the margin expanding to 6.2% from 3.7%. Gross profit rose 41% to $4.8m, reflecting what management described as a continued focus on higher-quality revenue and improved creator contracts.
The standout performer was Showcase, Audioboom’s tech-driven global advertising marketplace, where revenue surged 63% year-on-year, driven by stronger demand and expanded inventory. With operating costs held flat at an average of $1.1m a month, the business is now seeing more than 20% of every marginal dollar of revenue drop straight through to EBITDA.
Average monthly downloads and video views hit 170 million in the quarter, up 79% year-on-year, helped by last summer’s Adelicious acquisition and fresh signings including Crooked Media, RedHanded and Hear Me Out.
Those tier one deals alone are adding more than 20 million monthly downloads and YouTube views to the network, plus over 200 million monthly impressions to Showcase.
Average revenue per thousand downloads and views came in at $45.10, down from $60.83 a year ago, as expected given the growing mix of lower-yielding video and UK inventory.
Stuart Last, CEO of Audioboom, said: “2026 is off to a flying start for Audioboom with new major podcast signings, the launch of commercial partnerships in video, and excellent financial performance by all metrics.
“In February we signed Crooked Media to the Audioboom Creator Network. Crooked is a leader in political podcasting, and will be part of our network through this year’s US midterm election and the 2028 Presidential election. Together with other newly signed top tier podcasts like RedHanded and Hear Me Out, more than 20 million new downloads and video views have been added to the platform as we achieved record monthly distribution of 170 million during the quarter – up 79% on the same period last year.
“Optimising the yield from those new downloads and video views will be key to our future growth. Our new partnerships with Spotify and Apple provide us with enhanced monetisation options for our video creators, ensuring we are the go-to platform for podcasters whether in audio or video form.”