Vertical Drop

Podcasting is no longer a niche audio format. It has become the engine behind some of the fastest-growing media businesses in the UK, combining long-form conversation, video, social content, live events and recurring audience revenues.

The audience is already substantial. More than 27% of UK adults now listen to podcasts every week, up from just 7% a decade ago. YouTube reports more than one billion monthly viewers of podcast content globally, demonstrating that the format is rapidly evolving from audio into mainstream video entertainment.

The commercial opportunity is equally clear. Goalhanger, the company behind The Rest Is History and The Rest Is Politics, generated reported revenues of £37.9 million in 2025 following average annual growth of 321% over three years. It now has more than 250,000 paying subscribers and has attracted investment from The Chernin Group.

The opportunity extends beyond consumer entertainment. Platform Media, founded in 2021, combined podcast production, branded content and owned shows to build revenues exceeding £10 million. Within three years, it received an eight-figure valuation and was acquired by international podcast group PodX.

For businesses, podcasts are becoming an increasingly important form of thought leadership. Research shows that more than half of B2B buyers use thought leadership when evaluating potential suppliers, while 61% of branded-podcast listeners say the content improves their perception of the company behind it.

Vertical Drop is positioned at the intersection of these trends. It provides the strategy, production infrastructure and creative capability for companies and individuals to build influential media properties of their own. The ambition is not simply to make podcasts, but to build a scalable content company for a market moving decisively towards conversation-led, video-first media.