Australia’s Placard Media merges with Nearly podcast network

Two Australian podcast companies have announced a merger. Placard Media, a platform for connecting podcasters and advertisers, has joined forces with Nearly, a podcast network that launched in August 2017.

Nearly will be folded into the Placard Media brand beginning February 19, and its founder Courtney Carthy will become Placard’s chief creative officer. Carthy will be in charge of content and talent at the agency. Two of Placard Media’s co-founders, CEO Andy Hayes and Chief Technology Officer Andrew Shaw, will maintain their positions. The third co-founder, Andrew Bellairs, will receive a 10% stake in the company and continue to work as an advisor.

“We are thrilled to have Courtney and the Nearly podcast network as a part of Placard Media,” said Hayes. “His dedication and drive to over the last 12 months in the podcast space has been incredible and having him at Placard will only help us deliver even more quality to our clients.”

“Merging Nearly and Placard creates a one-stop-shop for future clients, reliable quality for audiences and hopefully a very positive contribution to the industry, both local and overseas,” Carthy added. “We’re able to experiment more, share what we learn and deliver better value through podcasts.”

Anna Washenko