Interim report January - June 2026
Second quarter 2026
- Net sales in the quarter amounted to SEK 775.6m (606.7), corresponding to net sales growth of 28% (27%). The growth was driven by strong performance in both North America and Europe where net sales grew by 34% (70%) and 25% (9%) respectively.
- Organic net sales growth was 29% (32%), adjusted for currency effect and acquisitions.
- EBITDA for the quarter was SEK 57.7m (-43.2), resulting in an EBITDA margin of 7% (-7%).
- Adjusted for items affecting comparability of SEK 0.0m (59.1), the adjusted EBITDA was SEK 57.7m (15.8).
- Operating profit amounted to SEK 31.6m (-66.4), resulting in an EBIT margin of 4% (-11%).
- The adjusted operating profit amounted to SEK 31.6m (-7.3), reflecting an adjusted EBIT margin of 4% (-1%).
- The result for the period amounted to SEK 27.3m (-79.7).
- Earnings per share for the period before dilution amounted to SEK 0.15 (-0.44). Earnings per share after dilution amounted to SEK 0.14 (-0.44).
- Cash flow from operating activities amounted to SEK 50.1m (-53.4).
- The number of listens and views (with views currently HLS-only) amounted to 1,120 (1,102), corresponding to a 2% increase versus the same period last year.
- The Average Revenue Per Listen or View (ARPLV), with views currently HLS-only, increased to SEK 0.69 (0.55), reflecting an increase of 26%.
Other significant events
- In May, Acast announced the launch of the first integrated video advertising campaigns on Apple Podcasts. Acast is the first to successfully monetize Apple Podcasts' new video environment at scale, bringing global brands into the next evolution of podcasting.
Comments from the CEO: 29% organic growth and continued strengthening of offering
Acast delivered another quarter of strong growth in Q2 2026, as we continued to create even greater value for both advertisers and creators across our platform. That growth is increasingly translating into profitability, underscoring that our strategy of scaling revenues ahead of costs is working as intended.
Strong organic growth across all segments
Net sales reached SEK 776m in Q2 2026 - our highest ever quarterly revenue, up 28% Y/Y (29% organic). Every one of our segments delivered double-digit growth again this quarter, with Europe and North America each contributing almost identical amounts of incremental revenue. North America grew 34% Y/Y, continuing to scale rapidly, while Europe accelerated to 25% Y/Y on a larger revenue base. Other Markets added a further 17% Y/Y.
This performance reflects our continued investment in quality talent and our proven ability to connect creators with advertisers at scale. Our strategy remains well positioned to capitalize on the ever-growing appetite for high-quality omnichannel advertising, allowing us to influence budgets earlier and secure larger bookings from a broader base of advertisers. We also continue to see strong market-wide momentum, as more brands discover the benefits of podcast advertising. It's this kind of balanced, multi-engine growth that gives us confidence in the durability of our trajectory.
Video monetization accelerates our omnichannel strategy
A core pillar of our strategy is making every listen - and view - more valuable to the Creator Economy. This quarter, we achieved a pioneering milestone by launching the first-ever video advertising campaigns on Apple Podcasts, with tier-1 brands State Farm and T-Mobile acting as first movers. We now have more than 180 shows enabled for video on Apple Podcasts, successfully publishing more than 1,000 episodes.
We believe podcasters aren't defined by audio or video - they're defined by their relationship with their audience. As video becomes an increasingly important part of how audiences consume podcasts, we're taking a step toward a more unified way of talking about consumption. We're proud to be actively working with the IAB on establishing industry standards for measuring cross-format audience engagement via HLS. Today, our reported numbers reflect RSS and HLS consumption; we also expect to expand this to include YouTube by our Q3 report.
Our new metric Listens and Views - with views currently HLS-only - grew by 2% Y/Y. Average Revenue Per Listen or View (ARPLV) - where views are also HLS-only - increased by an outstanding 26% Y/Y to SEK 0.69, reflecting continued strong monetization momentum, as we see increased demand from advertisers for high-value podcast inventory.
We are dedicated to enriching our global network with highly monetizable inventory. This quarter, premium publisher The Washington Post partnered with Acast. Top talent The Lonely Island and Seth Meyers Podcast - hosted by Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer, Jorma Taccone and Seth Meyers - also joined the Acast network, bringing more US household names to our roster. And viral hit show The Comment Section with Drew Afualo joined our slate, adding one of the most talked-about shows in podcasting today. Together, these partnerships bring highly engaged, multi-channel audiences that deliver significant value to our advertising partners.
Finally, two high-profile award wins this quarter reflect the strength of our offering. Divine Intervention, from Acast Creative Studios - the team formerly known as Wonder Media Network, acquired by Acast in late 2024 - won a 2026 Peabody Award, one of the highest honors in broadcast storytelling. Additionally, Acast podcast Pablo Torre Finds Out won the Pulitzer Prize for Audio Reporting - a mark of true quality. A Peabody and a Pulitzer, in the same quarter - proof of what podcasting, and our creator-centric model, can produce.
Profitability continues to build
The power of scaling our revenue base against controlled structural costs is translating directly into results. Operational discipline remained central to the quarter; while revenue expanded by 28%, adjusted Opex grew just 8% Y/Y, driving clear operating leverage throughout the Group.
As a result, our Adjusted EBITDA margin expanded significantly to 7% from 3% a year ago, with EBITDA more than doubling to SEK 58m. Crucially, Adjusted EBIT turned positive at SEK 32m, representing a 4% margin, compared to an adjusted EBIT of SEK -7m (-1% margin) in Q2 2025.
Strategy and targets on track
As the world's largest pure-play podcast company, we remain uniquely positioned to lead the market's shift toward omnichannel, 360-degree monetization for creators. Our results this quarter show that clearly: organic growth continues to run ahead of our long-term target, while margin expansion keeps us firmly on track towards our 2028 EBIT margin goal. Central to this are our continued market share gains in the US - our largest and fastest-growing region - and we enter the second half of the year with real conviction in the path ahead.
Greg Glenday
CEO
Report presentation
CEO Greg Glenday and CFO Anders Hägg will present the report in a webcast today 23 July at 14:00 CET. The presentation will be held in English and there will be the opportunity to ask questions during the presentation. Link to the presentation: https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/i84kjgrs/
Link to the report
The Interim Report is attached to this press release and available on https://investors.acast.com/
For more information
Anders Hägg
CFO and deputy CEO
E-mail: anders.haegg@acast.com
Investor Relations:
Sofia Markovic
Tel: +46 73 808 44 39
E-mail: investors@acast.com
About Acast
Acast is the global authority on podcasting, building the infrastructure that serves as the single point of entry for the whole industry. This enables creators to grow and monetize across audio, video, social, and beyond, and brands to buy at scale - without walls or borders. As the world's largest pure-play podcast company, we connect 140,000+ storytellers with 4,000+ advertisers globally. Listed on Nasdaq Stockholm (ACAST).
This information includes inside information that Acast is obliged to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation. The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact persons set out above, at 2026-07-23 07:00 CEST..
