Global acquires Captivate for heightened podcast exposure and monetization

UK-based radio group and worldwide media company Global has acquired podcast hosting/tech outfit Captivate. Global is the developer and holding company of DAX, the company’s international digital audio advertising exchange. Captivate will become part of Global Player, and will take advantage of DAX’s immense reach for monetization opportunities. Continue Reading

UK’s Global seeks to buy 49.99% of iHeartMedia

UK-based radio and technology behemoth Global is attempting to acquire 49.9% of iHeartMedia, the largest commercial radio group in the U.S. Doing so would require exemption from U.S. government rules that regulate foreign ownership of U.S. broadcasting companies. Global is seeking that exemption now, and in doing so seems to be revealing a potential misunderstanding between the two companies. There are precedents in which the FCC has granted exemptions, but not of this scale. Continue Reading

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Global buys into iHeartMedia — 8.8%

UK-centered media and technology company Global has activated its investment arm, Honeycomb Investments LTD, to acquire 8.8% of iHeartMedia, the largest American commercial radio group and top podcast publisher. Remembering that Liberty also owns a stake in iHM, we speculate a brewing battle of buyers, as listener reach and advertising pull are increasingly parts of a cross-category landscape. Continue Reading

Global partners with The Story Lab (Dentsu) for podcast commissioning

UK-centered media company Global has struck a partnership with The Story Lab, an offshoot of dentsu international. The arrangement is focused on podcasts, with the two entities co-commissioning a slate of six new shows over the next 12 months. The launch show is set — it is Hunting Ghislaine, investigating the elusive and controversial life of Ghislaine Maxwell. Other original productions could be in True Crime, Comedy, Entertainment, and Sports. Continue Reading

Global’s DAX enters voice-activated ad deal with Instreamatic.ai

DAX, the digital ad exchange of radio company Global, has entered a partnership with Instreamatic.ai, a specialist in voice-activated ads, centered on interactive audio spots. The arrangement will let DAX advertisers place ads with verbal prompts in the mobile apps for streaming audio services such as TuneIn and AccuRadio. Continue Reading