Many industry commentators were sniggering as Morten Strunge launched Podimo with the crazy idea that consumers might hand over actual money to listen to a mere podcast.

This is a story I’m especially enjoying writing. Back in 2019 when I first reported on Podimo’s pending launch, the reaction ranged from muted to dismayed. What was I writing about podcasting for? Podcasting was a joke. It’s nothing to do with publishing.

The 3.5 WordPress rating said it all (this long before I brought TNPS to LinkedIn). Many industry commentators were sniggering as Morten Strunge launched Podimo with the crazy idea that consumers might hand over actual money to listen to a mere podcast.

Fast forward 2026, and Podimo is still here, and expanding.

Copenhagen-based Podimo has significantly strengthened its position as a leading European podcast platform through the acquisition of Germany’s Arc.Studio and the appointment of several high-profile executives from Netflix, Google, BBC, and Disney.

The moves underlines the company’s ambition to build a comprehensive content empire spanning multiple European markets.

The Arc.Studio acquisition brings established German-language video-led shows including Girls Girls, Kaffee mit Zitrone, and Clare on Air into Podimo Studios, joining existing labels Tonny Media, Dag en Nacht, and Podads. Co-founders Lara Johnen and Hendrik Nagel will continue leading the studio under Chief Content Officer Georgia Brown.

Leadership Appointments

Key hires include:

Jason Crosby (ex-Netflix EMEA unscripted chief) – Vice President, Studio & Content Operations

Iain Sawbridge (ex-BBC, Channel 5, King) – Chief Commercial Officer

Mehul Fotedar (ex-Google) – Vice President of Product

Daniel Maynard (ex-Disney EMEA) – Global Communications Lead

All four London-based appointments bring extensive experience in scaling international entertainment platforms.

Market Context

The expansion coincides with explosive growth in Europe’s creator economy, valued at $32.8 billion with projections reaching $157 billion by 2032, according to BNP Paribas research.

Podimo currently produces 700+ episodes monthly across six territories, with 1.2 million paying subscribers and €10 million EBITDA reported for 2024.

The View From The Beach

Unlike competitors relying solely on advertising revenue, Podimo maintains dual revenue streams through subscriptions and advertising. This structure enables diverse content verticals including history, fiction, and children’s programming that pure ad-funded models typically cannot support.

The company anticipates 50% growth this year whilst expanding its creator revenue-sharing model into new territories, particularly Germany.

CEO Morten Strunge indicates profitability across five of seven operating markets, with group-wide cashflow positivity achievable should expansion pause.

So yeah, as the critics said in 2019, there’s no money in podcasting! 🤣

This post first appeared in the TNPS LinkedIn newsfeed.